This part has a strong R rating :) And i also *borrowed* a few lines from IWRU ;)

Part 22

For the first time in his life Lindsay Macdonald was totally speechless. His mouth dropped open and his brain whirled deep inside his head but as he stood staring at the scene before him, not a single coherent word could find its way across the barrier of his amazement.

Of all the scenarios that had crossed his mind on the short journey across Sunnydale, not one of them had come even close to the actual sight that greeted him...

**Some people never cease to amaze you**

*****

When the phone had first rung that morning, destroying what was left of an already poor night's sleep, the yawning young lawyer silently cursed his misfortune and pulled his pillow over the top of his head. Lindsey groaned, remembering that he was due in court all afternoon and the last thing he needed was early morning phone calls, killing off the little chance of sleep he might still yet salvage.

The thunder and lightning that crashed its' way violently across the Sunnydale skyline had kept him wake for hours, and the tired young lawyer knew unless he got a full eight hours sleep, it would be almost impossible to destroy the prosecution's case that afternoon. The Prosecutor he was up against was a real evil piece of work and Lindsey needed to be at his sharpest, if he had any real hope of winning his case.

Shaking his head, he closed his tired eyes, pulled the pillow tighter around his ears but it was all to no avail, the incessant ringing refused to end.

Dropping his pillow back behind his head, Lindsey turned his bleary eyes towards the bedside clock, and saw with horror, that it wasn't morning at all, in fact it wasn't even dawn. As his sleepy head slowly started to wake up, he noticed that the room was still dark and even the damn birds that chirped annoyingly outside his window each morning had better sense than to rise at this ungodly hour. With a low groan of annoyance, which he made no attempt to disguise, Lindsey pulled himself up against the pillow and cradled the receiver next to his ear.

"Do you have any idea what time it is? We have to be in court this afternoon and.. What? " The lawyer's eyes widened as the voice on the other end of the line actually seemed to laugh.

Lindsey scowled, at that time of the morning his body might be awake but his sense of humour was still very much asleep and if he heard so much as a hint of laughter, he was throwing the phone out of the window. And when he got his hands on the caller, the person in question was likely to go in the very same direction.

"If this is your idea of a joke, believe me, it's not funny" He shook his sleepy head and glanced once more at the alarm clock, still disbelieving that anyone would call him at that hour of the morning.

"You're where? What the hell are you doing at the beach..? "

With a tired sigh he rolled his eyes, even more convinced that the call was a practical joke. Even half-asleep Lindsey knew that no one in his or her right mind would have ventured out onto the beach the previous evening. The unexpected storm had torn its way through Sunnydale until the early hours of the morning and, in his opinion, only an utter fool would have headed there in that kind of weather...

Turning his thoughts back to the conversation in his ear, the young man's frown grew darker

" Say that again. You want me to do what?"

With the reply, Lindsey ran his hand through his rumpled hair and scratched the back of his head. It was bad enough being torn from his sleep, but the thought of being torn from his nice warm bed was something he really didn't want to face. If it had been anybody else but Liam calling, the conversation would have already ended.

"Dammit, Liam. Have you been drinking again? "

The answer he heard from the other end of the line was short and sharp and left no doubt that his friend was perfectly sober.

**Just totally insane**

As an evil little voice whispered the thought deep inside his mind, Lindsey grinned first time that morning. He then closed his eyes and shook his head again.

"Okay, you win, I'll be there as soon as I can, but Liam, for your sake, this better be good"

With a resigned groan that his beauty sleep was well and truly over for the night, Lindsey threw his long legs over the side of his bed and reached for his jeans

*****

Thirty minutes later.


Lindsey had little difficulty getting to his destination, the roads to the beach were almost deserted and before he even had time to moan about missing his breakfast, he was turning his car towards the small slip road that led to the more secluded part of the coast.

On the horizon, the first sighs of dawn had finally started to break their way through the darkness and with the storm now miles away, the Sunnydale skyline was once again giving birth to a glorious morning.

Parking his car just a few feet from the sand, Lindsey took a moment to breathe in the fresh salty air and wondered again what the hell he was doing up at that time of the morning.

**Whatever the reason turned out to be, one thing was very sure, Liam was going to seriously owe him for this**

Not bothering to lock the door, he left his car by the side of the road and strolled across to the beach.

Finding himself standing alone in the morning sunlight, there was one thing that the lawyer had to admit. The peace and tranquillity that washed over his tense body was amazing.

**Maybe that was what Liam had been looking for on the beach the previous evening. Liam could use a little tranquillity in his screwed up life**

Lindsey brought his thoughts back to the matter at hand and immediately noticed that apart from the seagulls squawking overhead, the smooth golden sand looked almost deserted. Almost, but not quite.

" Hey!" A familiar voice broke through the stillness and brought all thoughts of tranquillity to an end..

Raising his hand to cover his eyes from the rising sun, Lindsey watched as Liam jumped down from a large rock formation, and walked swiftly towards him.

"It's about time you showed up, it's freezing out here. I need to borrow your jacket?"

Lindsay's mouth fell open and did a perfect impersonation of a goldfish as he watched Liam walk bare foot across the damp morning sand. In all the years he and Liam Angelus had know each other, Lindsey had never seen his best friend looking so dishevelled.... Or for that matter, so contented.

With a dozen long strides, Liam covered the short stretch of sand that separated them. As he moved, his dark silk shirt flapped open around his shoulder and his designer trousers, which appeared to be covered in sand and dirt, were happily rolled half way up his shins.

**He looks like a bloody tourist.**

Lindsey eyes widened in amazement when his gaze took in the state of his best friend's hair. The gelled spikes were nowhere to be seen and he guessed, with an evil grin that it would take at least a dozen washes to remove all the sand that Liam had obviously been rolling in.

Not that Liam seemed to care. The smile on his face was enough to light up the darkest night's sky.

"Lindsey, I need your Jacket"

Lindsay's eyes glanced to the size of Liam's arms and slowly shook his head.

" Sure, but you realise it will never fit you" He replied as he slipped the brand new leather jacket from his shoulders and seriously considered trading in his best friend for a more considerate model. One that didn't call him out in the early hours of the morning and definitely one that didn't want to share his clothing.

"Here, just try not to get it covered in sand" He reluctantly handed over the garment and then became even more confused as his soon to be ex best friend, turned, and without another word walked away.

"Liam! What the Hell's going on? I thought you wanted a ride home?"

Not breaking his stride Liam through the reply over his shoulder and left his bewildered friend scratching his head in wonder.

"We do "

Lindsey didn't have time to wonder for long, a few minutes later the confusion differed away when Buffy walked out of the rocks along side her husband, wearing his leather jacket.

Looking at her bare feet and similar dishevelled hair, the penny finally dropped and Lindsey roared out loud

"I should have guessed"

Buffy blushed and her cheeks flamed with embarrassment as she studied the handsome young man's face. She didn't remember anything about him but she immediately liked him and she sensed, from his good-natured grin, that he and her husband were definitely good friends.

"Thanks for the jacket, I was beginning to turn a little blue around the edges" Buffy joked and tried to prevent her voice from showing how cold she really was feeling. It was a glorious morning but the sea breeze was still blowing enough to stop any real heat from warming her cool skin.

The lawyer took a step forward and smiled

"Hello Buffy, it's really good to see you again" His soft voice was sincere and Buffy immediately felt at ease.

Lindsey watched as she pulled his jacket closer to her thin body and realised how cold she must have been spending the night waiting for the storm to pass. Not wanting either of his friends to catch a chill he cut off the reunion speeches and raising his hand, he indicated to his car

"Come on, let's get you two home, you can give me all the fun facts later"

Liam quirked an eyebrow and his friend knew at once that there was no way he would ever learn what really happened that night.. Not that it mattered. Just seeing Liam smile again was enough to make him happy. That, and a few more hours sleep. But, as the sun continued its rise in the early morning sky, the extra sleep he longed for seemed more and more unlikely.

"I owe you." Liam said sincerely and tightening his arm protectively around Buffy's small shoulders he followed Lindsay to the car.

At the promise Lindsey grinned.

"I'll remind you of that the next time your sister comes to town" He replied happily. At the thought, a vision of Cordelia rose up and danced before his eyes, causing the smug grin he was wearing to double in size.

**A date with Cordy was just what he needed** Lindsey would definitely be calling in that favour.

Dropping into the front seat, he twisted the key in the ignition and purposely turned his eyes away from the reunited lovers, now locking lips in the back.

"You two *really* need to get a room" Lindsey laughed

He was still smiling ten minutes later as he drove away from Revello Drive.


*****


"Home sweet home" With a heart-felt thank you, and a promise that he wouldn't be late for court that afternoon, Liam watched his friend drive away. Once the car was out of sight, he wrapped his arm around Buffy's shoulders and guided her towards the steps of their house.

**Home sweet home**

As her husband's words slowly filtered into her thoughts Buffy looked up at the pretty white house and for the first time since the accident, she viewed the building with a completely new perspective.

He was right, This really was her home and she was never going to leave it again.


******


With a small sigh, Buffy slipped the ruined dress from her shoulders and twisting her tiny hips slightly, she let the damp material pool at her feet in the middle of the bedroom floor. Stepping out of the garment, she quickly peeled off her bra and panties and with the flick of her wrist, the sand filled underwear quickly followed the dress into the waste paper basket. It was sad that all three items were less than a day old but Buffy knew they were all beyond repair. As she looked down at the overflowing wastepaper bin, the memory of Angel removing each garment brought a warm flush of colour back to her cheeks. She might only remember enough about her past to fill up a thimble, but the new memories they were creating certainly made up for the ones she had lost.. Well, almost.

Standing still, she remembered the events of the last few hours and smiled.

Their night together had been wonderful but as she ran her fingers over her pink skin, scratched from rolling in the sand, she knew that later she would be paying the price for being so reckless. Touching the tender flesh again, she silently made a note that the next time they rolled naked in the sand, she would remember to take along a blanket.

**And if last night was anything to go by, there would certainly be a next time in the very near future**

Walking across the room with a large grin on her face, Buffy stopped and stood naked in front of the full-length mirror. Gazing down at her reflection, she was relieved to see that her petite body was slowly starting to show signs of gaining the weight she had lost over her four-month absence. Her figure was nowhere near the curvy shape it appeared in their wedding video but she realistically accepted that every new pound she added was a bonus.

Buffy turned away from the mirror, she raised her hand and running her fingers through her hair, she cringed at the tangled mess beneath her fingertips.

**I so need a shower**

At the blissful thought of standing beneath a jet of hot soapy water, Buffy picked up the large fluffy towel she had earlier placed on her bed, and after securing it tightly around her breasts, she hurried back down the hallway.

On reaching the bathroom, the sound of running water informed her that Liam had not only beaten her to the bathroom, he was still occupying the shower. Not able to wait another second, Buffy quietly opened the door and slipped silently inside the steam-covered room. As her eyes adjusted to the steamy haze, the sight that greeted her almost took her breath away. Although they had spent the best part of the night making love, the cave had been dark and the opportunity to get a good look at her husband's naked body had been limited. But now was an entirely different story. For the first time since her accident. Buffy could see the man she had married in the full light of day.

**Gulp**

Apart from the butterflies in her stomach, Buffy stood dead still, her mouth dry, and her heart thundering as she watched the naked silhouette through the misty glass door. The room was humid and as she stood nervously biting into her bottom lip, all she could smell was the scent of Liam's shampoo filling the air.

She took her first deep breath and let the heady aroma flood over her senses.

As Liam moved gracefully beneath the cloud of steam, Buffy was unable to drag her eyes away from his long naked form. She watched as the hot water crashed over his dark head, how it cascaded over broad shoulders, ran smoothly down his back and almost seemed to caress his firm buttocks before it faded from her sight.

She swallowed the lump that rose in her throat but still didn't move.

At the sight of his glistening tanned flesh, her small pink tongue slipped over her dry lips and the swirl of heat in the pit of her stomach ignited and seeped deep into her pelvis.

No wonder she found it so hard to breathe. Liam's hard lean body was pure poetry in motion. His shoulders were broad and like most of his body they were sculptured with sinewy muscles. He had a smooth chest, lean hips, muscled thighs and legs that seemed to.... Buffy sighed as her eyes continued their journey down his long wet legs and just for a moment, her mind imagined them twisted around her body. The image was electric and sent a hot delicious shiver right down to her toes.

**Maybe I better have a cold shower** she smiled at the thought and quickly rejected the idea.

No longer able to wait for her turn, she unwrapped the towel she was wearing and picked up a bottle of her own shampoo from the shelf. Buffy slid back the shower door and without making a sound, she slipped inside the small cubicle and closed the door behind her.

**Maybe after being in hell the last few weeks there really was a heaven to be found on earth**

She remembered the hell well enough, the darkness, the loneliness, the isolation of not remembering who she was, who they were. But now, standing in the warmth, feeling both safe and loved, maybe there was a heaven to be found on earth after all

A rush of hot water crashed over her head as she lovingly slid her hands around her husband's waist and laid her cheek against his wet back. Closing her eyes, Buffy breathed in deeply as the water cascaded over her tired skin, slowly revitalising her weary flesh.

He'd known she was there from the second the shower door had opened.

Liam smiled at the feel of her small breasts brushing against his back and slowly turned around. For a moment he stood, just letting his hungry eyes roam over her beautiful body. After four long months of believing he would never see her again, It was like suddenly being hit by lightning.

**She was really home **

Liam reached out his hand and turning a small dial on the wall, he adjusted the speed of the water crashing over their heads before closing the small distance between them.

Buffy smiled up at him through the steam and reaching up a small hand, she ran her fingers lightly through the soap in his wet hair.

"You were taking far too long" She tried to smile but there was simply too much heat in her eyes.

With a soft moan, Liam reached out and drew her closer until their bodies were finally locked together, her breasts pushing up against the hard wall of his chest and her hips pressed firmly against his, feeling the hard evidence of how much he wanted her.

"So I got tired of waiting and though it might be fun to share" Her voice whispered suggestively and standing up on tiptoes, Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her hungry lips to his mouth.

While the sounds of lovemaking shook the air, the shower continued to spray water over the occupants inside it's four walls.

Hot, warm, tepid.

The lovers were still locked together when the water ran cold.

Nothing was breaking them apart.

*****

"Mmmmm. That was so nice" Buffy rolled on to her side and purred out a long satisfied yawn.

Sliding her hand down the length of the bed, she found their forgotten sheet and with a sigh of contentment she pulled it up to cover her cooling body.

"Nice?" Angel raised an eyebrow in amusement.

Lowering his eyes, he watched the sheet cover her naked form and a small smile turned the corners of his lips when he felt her small warm body snuggle up against his side.

**Nice?**

Buffy tilted her head at the question and almost laughed at the pouting expression her lover wore across his face.

"Nice?.. I only rate a *nice* now?" Liam's dark eyes glinted seductively as he teased. His fingers reached out and lazily toyed with a loose strand of her damp hair. Lowering his head, he dropped a soft kiss on Buffy's warm shoulder and felt a tiny shiver run right through his wife's body.

"Want to try it again, maybe we could try something not so nice" He suggested with a grin

Buffy's eyes widened

"I was talking about the shower not...." She blushed as she heard a replay of her own words and then with a soft sensual smile, she reached out her hand and gently traced her fingertips across his lips.

"The shower was nice, being clean, dry and warm again is nice but you.. Leaning forward Buffy brushed her lips to his mouth and softly kissed her reply " You were perfect"

She pulled away to gaze into his face and the gleam in his dark eyes told her all that she needed to know. He was teasing, he knew very well what she meant but he was enjoying the game.

Buffy on the other hand was through with playing games.

" You had me worried for a moment...."He started but the words were quickly lost when Buffy lowered her mouth back to his lips and slipped her tongue deep into his mouth for a long tender kiss..

Liam shivered with anticipation and the raw heat that swirled in the pit of his stomach flashed so intensely that it almost burnt him alive.

He closed his eyes and without even realising it, he found himself almost praying **Please God, don't ever take her away from me again ** The though of losing Buffy again sent a bolt of terror straight through his heart. There were still so many unanswered questions between them and even though they had both promised to make a fresh start, Liam couldn't stop the fear flooding through him that maybe, one day, Buffy would leave his life again.

Breaking the kiss he pulled back slightly to stare at her face and was almost choked with emotion. She looked so beautiful lying there. She was still slightly damp from the shower and her eyes; her eyes were shining with such raw passion it made him tremble.

Liam breathed deeply and let her scent fill his senses. It flowed over his tired body in waves, invading his every nerve and fibre.

"I can't tell you how many times in the last four months I've dreamt of this" His soft voice trembled as he opened up his battered heart and laid it open for the entire world to see.

It had been easier in the cave. The storm and being trapped together had made the whole night seem almost surreal. But with the rising sun, came reality and now, lying side by side in their own bed, Liam suddenly felt scared to death that none of it was real. That he would wake any second to the buzzing of his alarm clock and find his bed empty and his life once again in shambles.

Reaching out, he gently traced the soft curves of her face.

"I love you, Buffy. Whatever happens in the future, if you remember your past or not, I just need you to hold on to that.

Buffy's heart filled with joy and when she smiled, the passion in her sparkling eyes changed to tenderness.

She didn't get a chance to reply.

With a soft moan Liam turned her in his arms, rolling her until she was beneath him. He kissed her eyes, her cheeks, her neck, slowly licking his way along the smooth column of her throat.

At the now familiar feel of his mouth on her breast, Buffy sucked in a deep breath and mewed in her throat. Her skin was on fire and it burned where ever his lips kissed her. She let her hands caress their way down his muscular back and dug her fingers into his hard buttocks. As her lover's body surged against her, Buffy felt the strength of his desire press harder. She insistently eased her thighs apart to take him and then twined her legs around his body.

With a passionate sigh, Liam finally sank deep inside of her, filling her body almost to the point of pain. Feeling complete, she cried out his name, and as wave after wave of ecstasy flooded over her tired soul, the very last word on Buffy's mind, was *Nice*.

With a final shudder of release the man she hadn't remembered, but already knew that she would love for the rest of her life, collapsed bonelessly on top of her.


*****


"God! You were right," Wrapping her tightly in his arms Liam softly kissed Buffy's forehead and stroked her hair. "It was Perfect"

He breathed deeply as the pounding in his chest started to slowly return to its normal level.

"No arguments from me" Buffy sighed happily as she tried to bring her own breathing under control.

The room fell quiet.

For a few contented moments they lay there in silence, reluctant to untangle their sated bodies.. The curtains had been left open from the day before and the warm morning sun now fell in soft golden ribbons across their bed. Leaning into her husband's strong body, Buffy closed her eyes as a wave of exhaustion washed over her tired bones.

"Before you fall asleep, I have something for you" Liam turned away for a moment and when he turned back, he held a small gold band between his long fingers.

Buffy recognised it immediately. Her mind flashed back to the scene in the study and she remembered the pain in Angel's eyes as he waited for her to remember why she had left him. She hadn't remembered removing the ring then and with a sad tug at her heartstrings, she still couldn't remember why she would have taken such a drastic action.

"I thought you might like this back."

She fell silent for a moment, then with trembling fingers; Buffy accepted the tiny circle and slipped it over the third finger of her left hand. It fitted perfectly. Laying her head against his muscular chest, she snuggled up against him, secure in the knowledge that she was no longer alone in this dark world. The darkness inside her head was still ever present but whatever demons it hid, Buffy knew they would now face them together. All thoughts of William Pennington and his sister were firmly pushed out of her head, at least for that night.

Feeling his wife's hot breath sigh softly against his skin, Liam wrapped his arm around her, holding her tight.

"I love you." His lips tenderly brushed a featherweight kiss to her hair as he watched her eyelids flutter, struggling against the forces of sleep.

"I love you too." Buffy smiled at how easily the words slipped over her lips.

" I'm so sleepy, - but I still want.."

At the remark Liam looked astounded

"What? You couldn't possibly.. Not that I wouldn't.." His long fingers danced lazy circles over her taut stomach, once again teasing every nerve ending into life.

Buffy giggled at her husband's stamina and when she looked at him, she knew all the love she felt was shinning in her eyes.

"No, no. I'm spent. You?"

"For now." Liam smiled, but in his heart he knew he would never be truly spent where this woman was concerned.

Their eyes met and held.

"No, I - want to stay awake - so this day can keep happening. This is the best day of my new life, I want it to last forever"

She tried to hide the tiny yawn that crept into her voice but as her eyelids fluttered, the exhaustion of the last twenty-four hours slipped over her face and reflected from her sleepy hazel eyes.

Liam could hardly reply he felt so relieved.

"Sleep. We'll make another one like it tomorrow." His voice was little more than a whisper.

Happy with his promise, Buffy sighed in contentment. She tangled her legs with his, tucked her head under his chin and finally letting out a small yawn, she rested her head against his warm chest.

As the events of the last twenty-four hours took their toll, Buffy closed her eyes, and within minutes she was sleeping peacefully.

Liam cradled her closer to him and tenderly kissed her head.

"Sweet dreams"

Without disturbing her slumber, he reached out his free arm and reset the alarm clock by his bed.
He knew that if he were late for court that afternoon Lindsey would never forgive him.

Liam then settled back against the pillow and tried to relax, but even as he closed his eyes he knew sleep wouldn't come. There were just too many demons running through his head. As his imagination kicked in, memories of his fight with Pennington returned to haunt him and the ugliness that they brought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

**We don't have to worry about him anymore. William's promised to leave me alone, he's not going to cause us any more problems**

Buffy seemed certain that their problems with the lovesick poet were now in the past but Liam didn't believe it for a second. If William loved Buffy as much as he proclaimed he did, he knew the lying little bastard would never give them a second's peace. He wouldn't worry Buffy for the world but he seriously suspected that their problems with Pennington were far from over.

Exhausted, but not able to rest, Liam lay watching Buffy sleep for the next three hours before turning off the alarm clock and silently slipping away.

******

"Angel"

Buffy cried out in terror as the fire that haunted her earlier dreams returned with a vengeance.

It burned and scorched, as once again it's hot red tentacles licked all around her skin. Even fast asleep, she knew what would happen next, it never changed

Buffy reached out her hand and watched in horror as the once smooth texture of her tanned arm crinkled and blistered as it slowly melted from the bone.

The heat was like a flaming stalker, it followed her every movement and it was still heading her way. No matter what she did, or how far she ran, she wouldn't escape it this time.

Deep inside her nightmare, Buffy stood frozen as she watched the burning heat move ever closer, engulfing her in its hatred.

**This time it will get you** A voice that she knew but couldn't quite place whispered out the warning. Only this time the words sounded more like a threat. Buffy watched the fire danced around her feet, licking it's way up her ankles and slowly burning her alive.

**Run away and hide little girl**

Pain bubbled up in her throat but when she tried to scream, she knew it was already useless... In the darkness of her mind there was no one there to hear her cry.

**You should never have come back, Buffy.**

**He doesn't love you. He never loved you**

**You were never the cheat...**

**He was**

"ANGEL"

Buffy sat up in her bed, her eyes widened in fear.

The voice she was hearing was her past. It stood right outside the door of her mind now and with a blaze of pure hatred, it screamed to be let in.

TBC...

One last part to go.