The Question – 2 weeks later - November 9, 2004

"I feel it again" she whispered as she nestled down against his chest.

"What's that?" he asked sleepily.

She smiled, "Just like I've always wanted to. Like a normal girl, falling asleep in the arms of her normal boyfriend."

His eyes opened a little wider as a thought occurred to him. 'Now. Now is perfect.'

He moved his hand under his pillow and grabbed something hidden there.

He looked up at her, "I don't want to be your normal boyfriend anymore" he said.

Her heart froze and she looked down startled at him. "What?" she asked voice shaky.

He smiled at her, she felt cold.

He brought a small box into her line of sight, as he opened it he said, "I want to be your exceptional husband."

When she saw the ring relief flooded over her. He wasn't breaking up with her again; he was…'OHMIGOD! He's proposing!?' her mind screamed.

He gazed lovingly into her eyes, his broad smile making it hard for him to speak, "Buffy Anne Summers, will you marry me?"

She looked back at him frozen, she couldn't speak.

His smile faded after a few seconds of silence. "Is that a no?" he asked afraid.

"No" she whispered.

He looked down, devastated. "Oh" he whispered, lowering the box.

"No!" she yelped when he shut the box, "I mean Yes…Yes I'll marry you" she rushed realizing she hadn't answered him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him with everything she had.

When they finally broke apart, Angel shook his head at her, "Way to nearly give me a heart attack." Referring to her 'lack of' then 'no' response when he asked her the most important question in his extremely long life.

"Sorry. I was…shocked I guess." she said and kissed him quickly, "I just...froze up for a second…now gimmy!" she snatched the box back from him, opened it and looked at the ring again.

He pulled the ring from the box and she extended her right hand so he could slide the silver Claddagh ring back where it belonged, pointing to her heart.

"It's just like the one you gave me before." she said staring longingly at it.

"It's the same one" he admitted.

She looked up at him confused. "What? How?" she stuttered. 'I left it in the mansion, I couldn't find it when I went back to look. I thought it was lost forever.' "

After I came back from… when I woke up in the mansion, they were in my hand."

"They?" she asked.

He took the box, removed the velvet lining, revealing his ring lying underneath.

She took it and he let her slide it back onto his right ring finger, heart pointing in.

"I didn't know what they were at first. I didn't even remember who I was. I threw them into the fireplace. It wasn't until weeks later I found them again. I knew we could never really be together, but I always hoped I'd get the chance to give it back to you someday."

She gazed at the ring on her finger, remembering the night he first gave it to her, the night he confessed his love for her, the night they first made love. The night he lost his soul.

He watched her face, saw it darken, "If it's too much, I can take it back. I can get you a real engagement ring, a diamond." He said, suddenly unsure giving her back that ring was such a great idea. Hell, the night he first gave it to her it cost him his soul, for all he knew, the thing could be cursed.

"No" she said quickly, "no this is perfect." She said leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. "I think the ring…I think it brought you back to me."

He looked at her, confused. "What? How?"

She shook her head, "I don't really know. I was planning on letting you go, to say goodbye to you, so I left the ring at…where the portal closed. When I brought you back from the woods, your outline was burned in that exact spot and the ring was missing."

He nodded, "I always wondered how it got into my hand."

She laid her head down against his warm chest, "Honestly, I don't even care how or why. I'm just grateful it happened."

He grinned, "Me too. Hell dimensions…not a the greatest places and I've seen quite a few."

"Ok fiancé, enough with the trip through morbid memory lane" She raised her head from his chest, "We have more important things to discuss."

He grinned, "Like what?" he asked.

She leaned down and kissed him.

"Hmm…I like this topic" he mumbled.

They 'discussed' for a good deal of the night.