Buffy fell asleep despite her best efforts to make the night last as long as possible. Angel lay on the bed, holding her in the crook of his arm, enjoying the heat from her body, remembering the last time he had watched her sleep next to him. He watched her for hours, the rise and fall of her chest, the way her facial expressions changed as she dreamt, the flutter of her eyelashes. He admired her strong cheekbones, the curve of her chin, the nape of her neck.
She turned in her sleep, facing away from him though still pressed tightly against his long frame. His fingers ran down her arm, raising goose bumps on her tanned skin. They traced the length of her arm, ran over each finger, then back up again to her neck. Shifting to prop himself up on one arm he looked down at his own sleeping beauty and was greeted with the sight of his mark on her, his brand. The bite had had years to heal, yet the two marks where his teeth had sank into her flesh, where he had drank deeply from her, were still clearly evident. She had allowed him to drink from her, to save himself, when Faith had poisoned him. Even now, so many years later, through all they had survived together, it still touched him deeply that she had given of herself to save his life. The life of a vampire that could give her nothing in return and who would end up causing her so much pain.
He touched the mark, felt its heat and for a moment remembered what it had been like to feed on her. To place his hot lips on her skin, to bite, to feel the release. Her blood had sang in his veins, the power of it had almost been too much. She tasted sweet and sultry at the same time and he felt her strength and her love as he drank. He hadn't fed on anyone in years until that moment, but he knew it had only been so powerful because it was her. He wondered what Riley had had to say about the mark. He was the only boyfriend of Buffy's who knew the entire truth about her and her world. He wouldn't have blamed the boy if the bite had unnerved him. And a part of him liked to think it had.
Bending down he kissed the mark. She stirred in her sleep, dreaming. "What's going on in that head, little Slayer," he murmured, stroking the side of her face. She sighed, a smile playing on her lips and for a moment Angel thought she was playing possum. The smile deepened then her lips parted, her mouth forming a silent "O." Her face was combined in an expression of ecstasy and pain. Her hand clenched the sheets.
It was over as quickly as it had started. She woke suddenly and looked around her without lifting her head. His face was one of the first things she saw.
"Hi," she said lazily, closing her eyes again.
"Hi yourself," he answered.
"What time is it?"
"It's still early," he told her.
She smiled and snuggled back against him. "Good dream?" he asked.
Her eyes opened. "Yeah, I guess so, why?"
"You were smiling. Did I play a central part in this dream?" he asked.
She smiled again. "Could be."
He watched her expectantly. "Well?"
"I don't…I don't want to tell you Angel," she said, toying with his fingers.
"Why?"
"It will make you feel bad."
"I can take it," he told her, kissing her ear.
She was silent for a moment, then, "I have this dream every once in a while, maybe once a year. I dreamed we were on a pier. I was standing there watching the ocean and you suddenly came up behind me and kissed me. It was wonderful."
He tried not to react but his body betrayed him. He froze and she felt it.
"What?" she demanded. "Angel?"
He smiled down at her but his eyes gave him away. "Nothing, the dream sounds nice
"There's something else…it's like earlier when I said, 'Food is good.' You reacted to that too. And when I said I would hear your heart beat one day."
"Really, it's nothing. I just feel bad that I can't stand with you on that pier…at least, during the day. Was it during the day?" he probed.
"Yeah…" she said, remembering.
"And you've had this dream before?"
"Uh hmm….for the last few years…"
He was quiet, thinking. Once a year she dreamed of their kiss on the pier. Thanksgiving, the year he had moved to LA. "You only have this dream once a year and you remember having it?" he asked softly.
"Well, it's a nice dream," she said defensively. Rolling over she looked up at him suspiciously. "What aren't you telling me? You're wigging."
He leaned over and kissed her. "It's nothing," he said when they parted. "Really. I just don't want this day to stop happening," he said, ashamed at testing her. "But I suppose we can make another like it tomorrow."
She smiled, grudgingly accepting his answer. "Count on it." She snuggled down in his arms again and shut her eyes.
Angel closed his as well. If we make it through this, I'll tell you. I'll tell you all about that day, he swore, guilt ripping through him. He tightened his grip on her and tried to sleep before dawn came.
***
Morning arrived and they were forced to leave the bedroom. They dressed quickly. Taking the sewers to Buffy's house was their only choice as the day had broken with a beautiful sunrise. They walked together, hand in hand.
"Not the most romantic walk I've ever taken," Buffy said wryly.
"Oh, I don't know. Around this bend there's a beautiful arrangement of mold on the wall," he answered her lightly.
"I won't be long at home. I just want to jump in the shower and change. Then we've got to head out to Giles'."
"Take your time."
"Time we don't have," she reminded him.
They arrived at the sewer line outside her house. Buffy ran inside quickly and grabbed a blanket out of the hall closet. Returning to the manhole she threw it down to him and he jumped out, running at full speed towards the safety of shade.
Smoke billowed around him. "Are you okay?" she asked when they were safely inside.
He nodded as Willow came around the corner.
"Hey guys! Nice of you to come home last night, Buffy," she teased.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Morning, Will."
A door opened upstairs and Buffy leaned into the staircase to see who had emerged. Oz walked from Willow's room to the bathroom, wearing little more than a pair of shorts.
Buffy gave Willow a look. "You have room to talk."
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said innocently, then wrinkled her nose and giggled.
"Willow Rosenberg! I'm shocked and appalled."
Angel stood there watching the exchange uncomfortably.
"We just talked…and snuggled," Willow admitted. "It was nice."
"Hmm. Well, get dressed. We've gotta get moving. Are Cordy and Gunn up?"
Willow nodded. "Yeah. Barely. You think Cordelia's not real pleasant in the afternoon, you should try waking her up."
Angel cleared his throat. "Uh, Buffy?" he said, indicating that she should get a move on.
"Right. Right, shower. Brushing of the teeth. I'm on it. Back in a minute, okay? You can wait in my room if you want." He nodded and the three climbed the stairs.
Buffy grabbed clothes from her closet and Angel sat on the bed, looking around. Over the years he had kept tabs on her, frequently checking in on her as she slept, as he always had. The room hadn't changed much.
"Back in a jif," she said and sailed out into the hall, the door closing halfway behind her. His leather jacket hung from a hook on the back. Angel couldn't help but smile. She was happy. So was he…except for this impending sense of doom.
She met Willow in the hall bathroom, brushing her teeth. "Mind?" she asked, indicating the shower. Willow shook her head, toothpaste foaming around her mouth. She turned away from her friend to give her some privacy.
Buffy turned on the shower and jumped in a moment later. "So," she called to Willow. "What's the deal?"
Willow smiled at her reflection in the mirror. "No deal. Deal free. Monty Hall would be disappointed."
Buffy rolled her eyes and pulled back the curtain enough to see her friend. "Right," she said and returned to washing her hair.
"What's your deal?" Willow asked, washing her face.
"I asked you fir-irst," Buffy called out in a singsong voice.
Willow sighed happily. "Well, if you're going to push…it was soo nice, Buffy," she gushed. "You know, we've been friends for a long time. We love each other. But last night, I don't know. He's been gone a long time. I mean, he hasn't even visited in two years."
"But…"
Willow leaned against the vanity, face-washing forgotten. "It was like old-times. We talked for hours. I mean, every time we see each other we talk, but last night…last night we grew up. You know what I mean? It's like for years we've been saying, 'I love you, but this can't ever work,' and last night we said, 'Why the heck not?' Nothing happened, I mean, we did proceed with some after hours cuddling, but no major moves were made."
"I'd say that sounds like a deal," Buffy said, smiling for her friend. "And very familiar."
Willow's eyes flew open. "I demand answers!" she exclaimed. "Complete with all the parts that made you feel dizzy."
"How do you know there were any?" Buffy asked, teasingly.
"Cordelia isn't the only one who's usually a grump in the morning."
Buffy laughed. "Well, you're right. There are definitely happy feelings this morning."
"Buffy, you two didn't, I mean…you still can't, right?"
"No, of course not. We fought, actually. And then…we weren't fighting any more, we were kissing. And then we kissed some more…" Buffy said, her voice trailing off as she remembered the feeling of his lips on her skin.
"You fought?"
"Yeah…about tomorrow. And what's going to happen. How we're going to deal."
"And you decided that smooches were the best way to prevent Angel from turning?"
"It just sorta…happened. One minute we're fighting and I'm bawling. And the next…he swept me off my feet. Literally." The water turned off.
Willow sagged against the vanity, a hopeless romantic. "Wow."
Buffy pulled back the curtain, encased in a towel. She grinned. "I know. Then we just held each other all night. Our nights seemed to have gone the same way…scary," she said, wrapping her hair in a towel.
"But in a good way," Willow concluded. They grinned wickedly at each other, feeling again as they had in high school.
"Most definitely."
"So," Willow prodded, but reluctantly, "What are you going to do?"
"It's like you what you said about you and Oz. We've gone so long avoiding each other and look where it's gotten us. We're lonely and a-lone. That doesn't seem to make it go away."
"Yeah…I just don't know. About me, I mean. Me and Oz." She paused. "It sounds like that goes together, doesn't it? Me and Oz," she said, trying it out.
Buffy smiled. "Sounds good to me."
"Sounds just as good as Buffy and Angel," Willow said, cocking her head to the side.
Buffy didn't answer her.
"I'll let you change," Willow said, and exited the bathroom.
"Buffy and Angel," Buffy said to herself.
***
Everyone was up and ready to go soon after. They ate quickly and exited, all of them opting to use the sewers rather than make Angel feel like the outsider. Buffy was surprised that Cordelia didn't even snip about it and said as much to Angel.
"She's different now Buffy. Surely you can see that."
Buffy nodded. "Of course I can. She just never ceases to amaze me."
"Come on you two. I didn't get up at the crack of dawn to have the smell of sewer on me all day," Cordy yelled back to them from up ahead in the pipe.
Buffy looked at Angel sideways. "She still has her limitations," he said sheepishly. They trekked on.
They reached the Magic Box minutes later. Giles and Wesley were already there, each reading deeply from books.
"Morning," Buffy said, opening the door. Angel came in from the back. "What, did you guys sleep here?" she asked.
"It feels like it," Giles answered her. "Good morning."
They all flopped down into chairs. "So…anything?" Buffy asked hopefully.
Wesley shook his head. "Nothing on how to stop this, I'm sorry, Buffy," he said regretfully. "But we will find something. I'm sure of it."
The door opened again and Xander and Anya walked in carrying boxes.
"More doughnuts," Anya said.
"I like that every time you've walked through that door you're carrying food," Oz said to Xander.
"How do you think I've kept my friends this long?" Xander quipped.
"Where are Erin and Alex?" Willow asked, quietly. She glanced at Angel who was reading something over Wesley's shoulder.
Xander followed her eyes. "With a neighbor," he said just as softly. "Anya and I'll go back to check on them a couple times, but we're here for you," he said, turning to Buffy.
She watched them curiously. Realization dawned on her face a moment later. "I won't let it get that far, Xander," she told her friend. "Angelus won't even have a chance to think about Erin and Alex. But," she said reluctantly, "you're right not to talk about this in front of him. Angelus remembers everything." He nodded at her, not looking entirely convinced.
"Buffy," Giles interrupted. "I believe Wesley and I have located a spot for you and Angel to contact the Powers That Be."
"Great. Back to work," she said. "Where do we go?"
"I'm afraid we get to return to high school."
"But isn't that a Hellmouth opening?" Oz asked.
"Yes," Wesley answered, "but good and evil spring from the same energies. It's just a matter of how they're used. The library, what's left of it anyway, is a hotspot for mystical convergence. It should work."
She and Angel exchanged glances. "Let's go," he said.
"I've been back to the school more times since graduation than when I was an actual student," Xander muttered.
"We need a gift," Cordelia reminded them.
"I thought that was just for the Oracles," Buffy said, looking from Cordelia to Giles.
"You don't just show up at the doorstep of Higher Powers and say, 'Gimme,'" Cordelia said, rolling her eyes.
"Okay, okay," Buffy said, looking around. Giles walked to the counter and picked up something from behind it.
"Here," he said, presenting her with an amulet on a silver chain. "This is the stone of Gilia. A coveted gem in the demon world."
"What does it do?" Buffy asked. "Well, used properly it can change the form of objects. It was last used by the Armithian army to turn their enemies into boulders."
She inspected it. "Pretty," she said simply. She turned to Angel. "Gifts are us. Let's go."
***
The high school, for whatever reason, had never been torn down. Its hollowed out shell still stood, blackened and burnt. They entered it gingerly.
Giles led the way into what had once been their second home, the library.
"You know, I actually liked it better filled with musty old books," Cordelia said, looking around.
"What do we do?" Buffy asked Angel.
"Cordelia says the incantation that opens the portal. We step through."
"Easy enough."
"Good luck," Willow said, giving her friends a half-smile. "Put 'em through the ringer."
Buffy took a deep breath. "Ready," she said to Cordelia.
Cordy nodded and stepped forward. "Let the door be opened, let the light come through. Admit passage to those who seek it here. Guide them in this time of questions. I beseech you," she called out dramatically.
The air began to crackle. Buffy took Angel's hand and squeezed it. Suddenly, a light appeared and with a flash they were standing in a room filled with energy, alone. A lone pedestal stood before them.
They looked at each other. "Hello?" Buffy asked timidly.
"What have you brought us?" a voice asked.
Angel stepped forward. "The amulet of Gilia," he said, holding the necklace by its chain. He knelt, reverently, and sat it on the pedestal.
Two small balls of light formed in front of them, growing bigger and brighter until they took on the shapes of a man and woman.
"Who are they?" Buffy whispered.
"The Oracles," Angel whispered back, "their spirits, anyway. Their human forms were destroyed by Vocah years ago."
"A pity," the female said to them, having heard their exchange. "Though not necessary for our spirits to live on."
"We speak for the Highest Ones. What do you seek from us?" the male asked.
"You have sent visions to the link between our worlds. We want to know what they mean," Angel said.
"It is not yet for you to know," the male answered.
"But we have to know!" Buffy said impatiently. "Angel's going to turn and we don't even know why, or how to stop it!"
The male looked irritated and began to speak, but the female stopped him. "My child," she said, smiling gently at Buffy, "your love for the champion is strong. Perhaps more than you can handle. Use your love to guide him."
"Why am I going to change?" Angel demanded.
The female turned to him and gazed intently. "Your love for the chosen is as powerful now as it was when last we met. Hold on to it, remember it. It is all you need, if you are strong enough."
The male spoke suddenly. "Sister, you are weak when it comes to these two. This should not concern us." He sighed, "However…the Powers watch them, thus we must tolerate their questions." He turned to Angel. "The demon within you will rise, that much is true."
"We know that," Buffy said but Angel shot her a look. She shut her mouth and listened.
"The circle will form, love will bind you inside. The wolf, the witch, the visionary," Sister said.
"…the tin-man, the saint, the weapon," Brother continued.
"The one who watches over and the father," Sister finished. "And inside their love the chosen and the demon will meet. And one will die."
"No!" Buffy cried, stepping forward. "Why?!"
"It is written," the Brother said.
"Written where? By who?" she cried, falling to her knees.
The female stepped in front of her. Buffy looked up with pain in her eyes. "Child, now is not the time for tears. The fight will take place."
Angel walked to Buffy and helped her up. "You said that the chosen will meet with the demon, and one will die. What happens to me if she wins?"
The Sister stood in front of him. "The demon will die."
"The demon," Angel said again. He turned to Buffy. "The demon will die."
His words hit her, the meaning of them almost bringing her to her knees again. "Angel will be human?" she whispered, disbelieving.
"It is written," the Sister said. "You will Become."
"Become?" Buffy asked, confused.
"Why?" Angel asked, suspicion creeping into this voice. "Why now?"
"That is not for you to know at this time," the Brother said.
"Who cares?" Buffy whispered, gripping his hand.
"I do," he said, looking into her eyes. "I have to know." He turned back to the Oracles. "When will it be time?"
Brother and sister turned their backs on them, almost as if conferring with the light behind them. They turned simultaneously. "We have said enough."
"What happens if the demon wins?" Angel asked, panic in his voice.
"The demon will Become. Chaos will reign."
"Wait, how do I defeat the demon without killing Angel?" Buffy cried.
"We have said enough. By the light of the moon the battle will rage. You are each others strengths." They said together, and began to fade. "No! Tell me! I can't kill him! I can't kill him!" she shouted.
With a whoosh Buffy and Angel were back in the dilapidated library. They got their bearings and turned to each other, stunned.
"They didn't like the gift?" Giles asked, confused.
"It always happens like that," Cordy explained. "They've been gone for God knows how long, but to us it's a split-second deal. So what happened?"
Buffy and Angel remained locked in each other's eyes. Slowly Angel reached up and touched her face. She took his hand and pressed it closer to her skin.
He leaned in and touched his forehead to hers. "This can't be happening," he said, pain in his voice.
"I can't," she gasped. "I can't do it. Oh, Angel, I can't."
"What?" Cordy asked again. "What can't you do?"
Angel turned to them, his eyes sick with horror. "Buffy has to kill me."