A/N: Oh. My. Freaking. Gosh. It's the last chapter! Ahhhhhhhhhh! I got to say that it's been fun! Writing this fic was a challenge from the start, but all you guys made it worth it over and over again. Your lovely reviews were a joy to read every day and a great motivation to keep the chapters a comin'. Y'all (look at me slippin' into my southern twang) are the best, and I could never ask for better readers.

Now, I have a tradition that I started with my Merlin stories. Honestly, as FF reader and writer, I know how much reviews and thank yous mean to both sides. So...I'm going to thank each and every one of you.

Thank you:

TheLadyBlackDove200: Gah, how many times can I say thank you to you? Your reviews were lovely always, and I love the tips you gave me along the way! You are completely and utterly fantastic! :)

buffy4angel73: Reviews are amazing and yours are no different! :)

lazerwolf314: First off, love the name! And anyone who says my fic is amazing in all caps is automatically on my good list! :)

nevillethebosslongbottom: Dude, seriously? Freaking awesome pen name! Neville IS the boss! And your reviews were wonderful (even if I was present when you typed said review and threatened you with death if it wasn't just fantastic)! You didn't crack under the pressure, though, yay!

ba2006: I loved you from the start, ya know! Your first review was so great. I mean, first you say it's 'bloody fantastic' and then go on to say that it's one of the best written you've seen? How can I not love you? (Does that sound too creepy?) ;)

WestAnimeBrigade: Thank you so much! I take my writing very seriously, and try to improve with every chapter! Thank you again! :)

Angellufy: Your reviews always made me smile! Especially the one for last chapter! Thank you, thank you! :)

sarah: Thank you so very, very much! :)

pahwinchester: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I can't say it enough. :)

angelplusbuffyequalsforever: Wow, long pen name, but an awesome pen name! So true, so true! Thank so much! Your reviews are awesome. :)

chalese: Thank you so very much! Your reviews had a habit of being in all caps...that's AWESOME! lol Thanks! :)

Spectral Serenade: Love the name. And it's always great to hear that I can help make someone's day better with my stories. Biggest compliment any writer can ever get. :)

koutchouk: Thank you, thank you! :)

Wampi: Thank you so much! You're wonderful. :)

dkwr07: Thank you, thank you! I hope to get another review from you! Make me smile! :)

paris: Thank you, thank you! Your reviews are always lovely! :)

MacKenzie Creations: Thank you, thank you! I loved your ((hugs)). :)

Anne: Thank you, thank you! I looked forward to reading your reviews! :)

Tayler: Thank you so very much! Every review is precious! :)

MaeganM.086: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I can't say it enough. :)

Charlie Baytes: Thanks! Spike rules! :)

BAsupporter: B/A all the way! Hey, that kinda rhymes...thank you, thank you! :)

Jo: I always try and update soon! Reviews like yours help! :)

S0phfeist: I loved your reviews, and always looked forward to reading them! Fantastic! :)

Tessa: Thank you, thank you! It's hard to keep your characters in character when sometimes you think they're incredibly stupid and stubborn (cough) Angel...lol Thanks! :)

anna: Thank you! :)

c: Anyone who says 'can't wait for more' makes me happy! Thank you for contributing to my happiness! :)

CelticJenn: Thank you, thank you, thank you! :)

Sinangeled: Thanks! You had me addicted to your reviews from the very first! :)

Breyerfan123: "What happened in France?" You were the first person to ask! Thank you, thank you! I almost threw out that little story because no one seemed that interested! lol :)

: Yes...we do all hate Riley. And Buffy/Spike makes me cringe...so...Angel and Buffy are meant to be! Thank you! :)

cc: Anyone who says, 'more, more, more,' is automatically in my good graces! Thank you! :)

Jeremy Shane: Your reviews were always simple and to the point and always exactly what I needed to hear! Thanks! :)

Twilight Phantom Dragon: Okay, I love you, let's just get that out of the way. Your first review used words like, 'riveting' and 'fascinating.' The key to my heart. lol Thank you, thank you! :)

cosmiclovex: You read my fic instead of paying attention in class...That. Is. Awesome. Thank you! :)

Trendy-Vamp1991: Wow! Your reviews were lovely and never ceased to bring a smile to my face! Thank you so much! :)

Angel-Angelus-Edward: I guess you like really sexy male vampires, judging from the name...I do too...in case you haven't noticed...thanks for the reviews! :)

magicaltears: Yeah, I was grinning too when I saw Angel throwing someone off the Eiffel Tower...thanks for the reviews! :)

MeredythFurey: You said you were in love with my story...how can I not like you? Thanks for the reviews! :)

melody's muse: I'm not going to lie, when I saw that you had reviewed my story, I screamed. Yes. I admit it. I was hooked on Worth Fighting For, and there you were, reviewing my story, telling me it was awesome. Big confidence boost! Thank you, thank you for ever single review! :)

Taaroko: Okay, not only did I scream when I saw you'd reviewed my story, but I was jumping up and down doing a happy dance. I'm such a HUGE fan of your work, and adore all your fics. Your writing is fantastic, and you wrote my favorite Buffy FF ever, Worlds Apart (which is freakishly fantastic). So, safe to say, the fact that you take the time to review my story is absolutely wonderful! And I loved our little conversations! You kept me thinking! But most of all your reviews definitely made me strive to be a better writer, and I can't thank you enough for that. :)

Rachel-xox: "Love it." Yes. That is what you said. THANK YOU! :)

ESsmich: Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your reviews are always amazing! :)

twigirlxx: I hope this fic had enough fluff! Thanks for every review! :)

Liz: Thank you so much! I still can't believe I've gotten as many reviews as I have! Thank you! :)

TwoBecomeOne: Love the pen name, btw. And I love your reviews! Thank you so much! :)

owlsrawesome: Owls are awesome, my friend! Thank you, thank you for the reviews! :)

xxdawnbreakerxx: Your reviews had a habit of making me laugh! Thank you, thank you! :)

qtar1984: Thank you so much for the reviews and suggestions! :)

babysayitisn'tso: Thank you for every review you submitted! They are always lovely! :)

thetvgeneral: I love the name! Just got to tell you that, again. I'm glad you LOVED the story, and that you felt the need to put it in caps! Thank you, thank you! :)

CovenStine: Thank you so much! I adored reading your reviews! Always wonderful. :)

biteme36: One of my favorite pen names ever. One of the reasons you got an account was because of me?...now that's just the sweetest thing...Thank you so very much! :)

BS: Thank you so much! :)

PrincessBuffy: I read your review and I loved you instantly! One of the best B/A fics, you've ever read? Seriously? WOW! Thank you so much! :)

WizardofAllGenres: Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you! :)

Six Impossible Things: I admit, when I saw your pen name, I automatically thought of six impossible things! lol Thank you, thank you, thank you! I loved reading your reviews. :)

Dark Vizard447: 'AWESOME' Thank you for using one of my favorite words to describe my story! Thank you, thank you! :)

luckieselene: Thank you! I'm glad this story ranks among your favorites! Thank you, thank you, thank you! :)

Autobotally45: Thank so very much for the review! :)

: Thank you, thank you! :)

WinterSky101: Your reviews were absolutely wonderful! I adored them, and they made me laugh! :)

Tanya: Thank you so very much! Thank you, thank you! :)

Angelluvva: Thank you, thank you! Your reviews always had me laughing and grinning like a manic! :)

KortneyBreAnne: You, too, used the word 'awesome.' Hence, the fact that I adore you. Thank you, thank you! :)

_: Thanks! :)

dreamin'BIG: Thank you, thank you so very freaking much for every review you ever submitted! You are awesome! :)

addicted2ackles: Thank you so very much! I loved reading your reviews! :)

nicolee23: Thank you so much! Your reviews were lovely! :)

the blur: Thank you so very, very much! Thank you, thank you! :)

DestielMinion: Thank you so very much! How can I not when you compliment my writing style? lol Thanks! :)

Brandi Rochon: I'm glad that you've enjoyed this story as much as you have! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! :)

asdf.j: Haha...sexy time with Angel...love sexy time with Angel! Who doesn't? Thank you so very much for the review! :)

anonymous: Thank you, thank you, thank you! THANK YOU! :)

kassidy: Thank you so much! I do try to get better and better! Reviews like yours definitely help! :)

hghj: Thank you, thank you, thank you! :)

ShebaBaby: Wow! Love reviews like yours! Your review made me think! I do appreicate that! Thank you so much! :)

nurjen08: Thank you so very, very much! Love the review! :)

Whew...Wow! That was a lot of people! Like I said, you guys are the best, and you need to know that! And if I forgot anyone, I'm sorry. So, "THANK YOU!" just in case. Okay, now onto my last disclaimer...I get to add one more ridiculous thing...hmmm...

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy. If I did...Angel would have punched Xander more, had more lines, and would have never left. I also believe that penquins have a great chance at world domination; I have a locket with no picture in it; I want to get a dog and name her Kitty; I am terrified of hand puppets; I think that Kirk beats Picard any day; I think that seagulls are strange creatures; Spiders haunt me; I believe that the Smurfs are really spies; I have a dog named Kono; I wish that Lt. Cmdr. Steve McGarrett was a real person; Vampires should NOT sparkle; My mind isn't twisted...merely sprained; And here's an awesome piece of advice: Never argue with an idiot. They'll just drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience; A wise man once said, "You can't fix stupid."; I have a picture of a wall...on my wall; Mac N' Cheese is the key to the universe; Jack Sparrow is real and totally hangs out in my closet; Merpeople are real...they're just shy; Waffle cones are the best; Christian Bale is really Batman, I kid you not; I am now officially a senior in high school; I'm convinced Elves are real; Oreos are from heaven, giftwrapped in chocolatey goodness; I like waffles; Dumbledore or Gandalf?...biggest question of my life; Seeley Booth must exist somehow; Buffy and Angel forever (okay, so the last addition to the disclaimer isn't ridiculous at all...but it is ridiculously important)...Still think I own Buffy?


Willow was anxious. Once again, the young witch glanced at the clock and saw that it was past midnight. Angel and Buffy had been gone for a little over an hour. That was too long to fight an evil, scary vampire, right? Did Buffy always take this long?

She shifted in her seat nervously, her eyes glued on the door. Oz caught her movement and offered her a small smile, taking her hand in his. Willow squeezed his hand gratefully and Oz squeezed back. But this didn't completely calm Willow's nerves. What if something happened? What if it all went wrong? What if Angel lost? What would Buffy do?

Spike was anxious. No he would never admit it, but he was. He could feel that his grandsire was still alive…not that he was worried about Peaches. Why would he be? He hated the wanker. Hated. Well, maybe not hate anymore, but bloody disliked. Yes. That was the better term.

The point was that Spike actually wanted Angel to live. Yes, Angel was right annoying and completely disgusting with all his soulful feelings, but Spike would rather deal with Angel than Andronikos or Angelus. And since Angelus was out of the equation, and Andronikos was either dead or dying…that left Angel. His grandsire. His bloody annoying, disgustingly charming, pitifully noble, grandsire. Spike closed his eyes and cursed himself. It was official. He was losing his marbles.

Cordelia was anxious. If Angel didn't get his butt back in five minutes she was calling the cavalry. It does not take this long to kill a vampire. Cordelia frowned. Buffy had gone with him…ewwww. They weren't getting all groiny in celebration, were they?

It wasn't as if Cordelia wasn't happy for Angel. She was glad he could get groiny with Buffy. Maybe it would decrease the brooding a little. All the pent up sexual tension should be gone. All good things. But Angel needed to get his butt back to L.A. because the PTB were getting a little antsy. Of course, the vision didn't need immediate action…but he did need to go back. Soon. Cordy huffed, great, she was going to be the bringer of bad news. Don't kill the messenger, she thought dryly. Life wasn't fair.

Wesley was anxious. It was taking a while longer for Angel and Buffy to dispose of Andronikos. Unlike the others, or at least, he assumed unlike the others, he was completely confident in Angel's ability to defeat Andronikos. Yes, he was aware that Andronikos was a hundred years Angel's senior and therefore stronger, but Angel had ingested Slayer blood and that gave him a great advantage. And Angel had something to fight for. Buffy. He had a reason to fight that was more than just revenge, and that always made the difference. So no, he was not worried about the outcome of the fight. He was just anxious because it was taking longer than he expected and he had to go to the toilet, but he was too afraid to leave and then miss Angel and Buffy's arrival. Wesley crossed his legs and hoped for the best.

Giles was anxious. He was not worried for Angel. Giles knew better than most that Angel or Angelus would always 'take care of business' as the American phrase goes. No, he was not worried for Angel…he was worried about his Slayer.

Buffy was his daughter. Not by blood, but by bond. He loved her like he would his own, and that was what mattered. And the fact of the matter was that Buffy's life had changed dramatically in only a few short weeks. She had been attacked and tortured before being saved by her former lover, who she then dumped her current lover for. Then, she had moved in with Angel and let him take care of her. And then Willow had performed the restoration spell, and now Angel's soul was permanent. Giles sighed. He'd always known that somehow, Buffy and Angel would find their way back to each other. But it made Buffy happy. Angel made Buffy happy—and that was all that mattered.

Xander was anxious. Buff and Deadboy should be back by now. Xander shook his head. Not Deadboy. Angel. Deadboy's name was Angel. It wasn't as if he did it on purpose—okay, he did do it on purpose, at least at first, but now it was just habit. But it was a habit he needed to break if he ever wanted Buffy to be civil with him again. Xander knew that Buffy was Team Angel all the way. Always had been from the moment she'd kicked him in the back of the head. Now, Xander wasn't that cliché, but was that really how you fell in love? Physical violence? Xander sighed inwardly. Apparently it was true if you were the Slayer.

Xander had long ago given up hope that he and Buffy could ever be more than fantastic friends. And after a while, he'd been okay with that. Sure, he still had to see her and Angel all googly-eyed and stuff, but he'd managed to just ignore Angel. Of course, entertaining himself with daydreams of staking Angel multiple times helped him be civil, but Buffy didn't need to know that. The point in all this was that Xander wanted his friend back. And since it seemed like Angel was back in the picture, he was just going to have to suck it up and deal (definitely no pun intended).

Anya was not anxious. Anya was annoyed. If a vampire like Angelus took this long to get it done, then she had no faith in vamps anymore. Seriously, they were supposed to be great. She should know. Dracula might have been a while ago, but she remembered him. Vividly. Gorgeous. She knew why Angelus and Buffy were taking so long. They were having sex. Fantastic, celebratory sex. And she was here—not having sex. Anya was annoyed.

Just then, the door opened and there stood Buffy and Angel. Wesley quickly greeted them before excusing himself. Willow swallowed Buffy in a huge hug, and surprised Angel with one too. Oz gave them both one of his famous nods, but this time with an added quirky smile. Xander stood around a little awkwardly at first, but Buffy saved him the trouble by going over to hug him.

This left Angel with Giles and Cordy and Anya. "Did you have sex?" Anya asked bluntly.

If it were possible, Angel would have blushed. "Um, what?"

"Did you and Buffy have sex?" she asked again. "That's why it took so long."

Angel shifted his weight from foot to foot awkwardly, "No, we didn't have, um, no we didn't."

Anya almost looked disappointed. "What's wrong with you two?" she muttered before stalking off in Xander's direction.

Angel, Giles, and Cordy stared after the ex-vengeance demon. "And I thought I was blunt," Cordy muttered.

"Anya, well, Anya is," Giles stammered as he cleaned his glasses, "she's certainly unique."

Angel just nodded, trying not to focus on the images that had sprung into his head the moment Anya had mentioned 'sex' and 'Buffy' in the same sentence. "Nice way to put it," he said lamely.

"Yes well," Giles began turning to look Angel in the eye, remembering what he'd originally wanted to say. "I don't think I have to tell you, but I will anyway. I understand now that you are free from the ramifications of your previous curse you and Buffy will continue your relationship. You make her happy, I can't dispute that. But, if you hurt her, in any way...I will end you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Angel replied. There were many things he could have said. He could have been defensive and told Giles that he would never hurt Buffy, intentionally at least. He could have been placating. But since he was practically talking to his father in-law, he figured a one worded agreement was best.

Giles nodded, "Good then," he said before making his way over to Buffy to say his goodbyes.

The moment Giles was gone, Cordy turned to Angel, "Listen I know this isn't the best time and all but—."

"I need to leave," Angel finished for her, his eyes never leaving Buffy.

"What?" Cordy asked irritated. "You mean I've been carrying around this little dose of doom and you've known the entire time?"

Angel fought a smile and turned to face the disgruntled ex cheerleader. "You've been nervous the past two days, and you've been looking at me like you wanted to tell me something. I figured you'd had a vision."

"Well I did," Cordy muttered, getting past her irritation and focusing on more important things. "The PTB obviously wanted you and Buffy to fix your groiny issues, but now that that's taken care of they want you back in L.A."

"How much time do I have?" Angel asked as he watched Buffy laugh at something Willow had said.

"You need to leave tomorrow," Cordy replied as she followed his gaze. "You know, this doesn't mean you have to end things. There is such a thing called a telephone. Long distance relationships work in this century."

Angel's lips quirked up in a smile, "You really think I'm going to end this?"

Cordy crossed her arms over her chest and raised her chin defensively, "Well how was I supposed to know you would actually thing rationally for once when it came to Buffy?"

Angel chuckled, "Thanks Cordy."

Despite herself, Cordelia grinned. "Well, how about I clear out these people and you can say goodbye to Buffy?" she smirked at her own innuendo.

She didn't even give Angel time to respond before she walked away and began shooing everyone out the door. Willow tried to linger, but Cordelia was adamant and eventually Willow caught on to her plan, and then with a sly grin she quickly excused herself and practically dragged Oz out the door, calling over her shoulder for Buffy to have a nice night.

While all this had been going on, Angel had noticed Spike leaning against the wall, the shadows practically obscuring him from view. Angel casually made his way over and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Happy for you Peaches," Spike said blowing a puff of smoke absently.

Angel didn't snort, but it was close. "Really?"

"The way I figure it, it's better for me that you keep making me miserable, rather than Andronikos," Spike shrugged. "Besides, I like it here you know? Glad I don't have to worry about that prick anymore. I like being a big fish in a small pond."

"So you're sticking around?" Angel asked raising an eyebrow. "Even with your chip?"

"Hey, I said I liked it here, didn't I?" Spike glared at the mention of his chip. "And yeah, even with my chip. Besides, you get some good head bashin' if you hang around here long enough."

"Well as long as you're here you might as well be doing something useful," Angel began, but Spike raised a hand.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll watch our little Slayer," Spike interrupted with a small smirk.

"Our Slayer?" Angel asked his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Ease off Peaches," Spike placated as he rolled his eyes. "Buff is part of the family now. And besides, if I can't kill her, I'm sure as hell not letting anyone else."

"You're insufferable," Angel muttered as he ran a hand through his hair.

Spike grinned as he pushed himself off the wall, "Glad to see I haven't lost my touch."

"What was that all about?" Buffy asked as she approached him, following Spike's exit.

"Looks like Spike is staying," Angel replied as he watched his grandchild disappear from sight before turning his attention to Buffy.

"What? Did you try and make him come with you?" Buffy asked raising her eyebrows.

Angel chuckled, "No. He's your problem."

"Really?" Buffy snorted. "I thought he was your child."

"Yours too by proxy," Angel returned evenly.

Buffy bristled at that. "That's weird," she frowned but then shrugged. "He's been helpful though, when he wasn't double crossing us."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that anymore," Angel said thoughtfully.

"He has been playing for our team for a while," Buffy admitted. "Did you have something to do with that?"

Angel shrugged. "Don't know, but can we stop talking about Spike?"

"Definitely," Buffy grinned grabbing his hand and leading him up the stairs to their room. She lead them through the door, and kicked it shut with her foot. "Or we can just not talk at all," she added as she began playing with the buttons on his shirt.

Angel smiled as he stilled her hands, "You're not very quiet."

"That's your fault," Buffy returned wondering why he'd stopped her. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Angel sighed as he sat down on the bed, "I have to leave."

Buffy's breath caught in her throat, but she forced herself to exhale. She'd known this was coming. "When?"

"Tomorrow," Angel admitted staring at the floor for a moment before daring to look into her eyes. Buffy nodded, trying to fight off the irrational tears that had sprung into her eyes.

"Hey," Angel said softly, getting up and pulling her to him. Buffy rested her forehead on his chest, and wrapped her arms tightly around him. "We both knew I'd have to leave eventually."

"I know, but that doesn't make me happy about it," Buffy mumbled.

"Buffy," Angel murmured, tilting her chin up so he could see her face. "This doesn't have to change anything. You're still my girl even if I'm in L.A."

Buffy smiled. "Always," she assured him before wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.

Angel hugged her closer and slipped a hand under her shirt, his need to touch her bare skin already overwhelming. Buffy began working on the buttons of his shirt and this time he didn't stop her. She slid the shirt off his broad shoulders, before letting her hands roam over his sculpted chest and taut stomach, planting wet kisses wherever she felt they were needed.

Angel pulled her shirt over her head. If he was shirtless, then she was going to be too. He rested his hands on her hips and pulled her to him, but apparently Buffy had other ideas and simply jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist which suited Angel just fine. He laid her down on the bed, careful not to crush her with his weight before leaving a trail of kisses down her neck, pausing to give extra attention to his mark.

Buffy bit his earlobe playfully, eliciting a growl from Angel. She had to smirk. Vampires found biting a big turn on. Go figure. She kissed the tender spot behind his ear as she let her hands steadily move south to his belt as more clothes were removed.

This—her and Angel—this was right. Angel had been to hell and back, literally. She'd been to hell and back, figuratively. They deserved this. She'd never thought that she'd have a fairytale romance…and she definitely didn't. She had an epic romance.


Well, that was it folks. I hope you guys had fun with this fic, because I know I did. Now, I have had people asking me for a sequel and there are definitely possibilites, but it's going to be tricky tying in Angel S2 and Buffy S5. Because I'd have to deal witht the Darla issue and I think after this fic, it's safe to say that Angel S2 would definitely have some major changes. So...I'd definitely have to do my homework and plan it out...but hey, it would be worth it. So, as of now, a sequel is a definite possibility. If I do decide to post one, I will add a little A/N, so if you don't have this story on alert and you want to know when the possible sequel is posted...you can put this story on alert or have me on Author Alert. AND if you guys have ideas, they'd be much appreciated!

Okay, I'm normally not one to seriously ask for reviews, but I'm going to this chapter seeing as how it's the last one. I know by the amount of hits and alerts I've got for this story that there are definitely a lot of readers out there, and I want to hear from you guys! My readers and their opinions mean a lot to me, and I want to hear from you! Sooooo...please, please review!

Signing off,

ArthursCamelot