A/N Sorry, I gotta do 'After Life.' It's a continuance of 'Bargaining.' As soon as this one is over, that's when Season 6 will no longer be Season 6.

Angel opened the door and let Buffy in. She walked into the foyer slowly and Angel turned on the light.

"Ow. Too bright!"

"Sorry." Angel kissed her hair and turned the light off. "I didn't mean.. I forgot."

"It's ok." Buffy walked into the living room. "It's different."

"A little. Willow and Dawn moved some of the chairs, and took out some of the little tables, but.."

Buffy looked at a picture of her, Angel, and Joyce. Pain flashed across her face and she looked as if she were about to cry again. Angel walked up to her and stroked her back.

"Come on baby. Let's get you cleaned up."

Buffy nodded and Angel led her upstairs. He turned on the water and made sure it was lukewarm. Buffy watched in silence. Angel helped her out of her clothes. When he moved to help her into the shower, she clung to his arm.

"Come with me?" she asked silently.

"Shh. Ok. Hold on." He stripped himself of his clothes and stepped under the spray with her. When Buffy looked down and saw his erection, her eyes widened a little and she stared into his eyes mischievously. "Sorry. It's been a while since we've.. And now you're here.. Sorry."

"It's ok. Not like I didn't let you before."

"I'm not going to."

"Why not?"

"It wouldn't be right. You just got back and you're venerable. I just couldn't."

"You've always reasoned yourself out of things Angel. Maybe I need it."

"Maybe you don't. Maybe you should be stop babbling and let me help clean you off."

Buffy gave him a lopsided small smile as he started to wash her hair. He was the only one who would talk to her like that. As if she hadn't been gone and she wasn't a fragile little butterfly. A small part of her felt momentarily alive at that moment. She hadn't felt alive since coming back. She felt fake and mortified at the horror of her night.

"There." Angel said. "All clean. Let's get you dried off now."

Angel pampered her. He dried her hair and put clothes on her and then started to clean the wounds on her hands. Most of the blood was gone, but there were still little splinters in them from the wood. He gently pulled them out and washed her hands before putting them in bandages. Angel stood back to observe.

"There you are. I knew you were under that dirt somewhere." He said.

"I'm cold." Buffy said silently.

"It's cold in here? I'll turn the air down. Off if you like."

"No, I feel cold inside. Almost dead."

"Baby.."

"Angel!?" Spike and Dawn called from downstairs.

"What's that?" Buffy asked.

"It's ok. It's just Spike and Dawn."

"Spike lives here?"

"No. He watches Dawn for me. Why don't you come downstairs and see your sister?" Buffy shook her head slightly. "It's Dawn. She'll be so happy to see you." Buffy stared at him tentatively, unsure of what she should do. She was almost asking him to make her see her sister. Angel took her hands and kissed each and every knuckle. She watched him, her expression blank. "You'll stun them with how beautiful you still are." He put his arm gingerly around her back and led her down the stairs.

Spike and Dawn were in the living room making sure nothing was looted. Buffy stayed behind the door. Angel looked at her a second and then decided to go on in without her.

"Bloody hell mate! Where did you run off to? You didn't even call." Spike said.

"Spike.."

"I mean, you're soddin' almost sister-in-law here was worried sick."

"Spike! Shut the hell up and listen. Dawn, come here."

"What?" Dawn asked.

"There's someone I need to show you."

"You bought her a present to suck up?" Spike asked.

"Look." Angel walked a little ways backwards and took Buffy's hand tenderly. He kissed the back of her hand and gently pulled her into the French doorway.

"Yeah? I've seen the bloody bot before. Didn't think she'd patch up so.." Spike cut himself short as he stared at Buffy.

"B-Buffy?" Dawn asked. "Is it her?"

"It's her. She's been through a lot. I would say too much. Her friends brought her back." Angel said.

"What's wrong with her hands? What happened?"

"She uh.. She had to.."

"Claw her way out of her own coffin."

"Yeah." Buffy said silently. "That's what I had to do."

"But it's her? It's really Buffy?" Dawn asked.

"It's really Buffy." Angel said.

Dawn moved to hug her sister, but Buffy moved behind Angel and hid. "Buffy.. Don't you know me? I'm your sister."

"She knows who you are. She's not ready to socialize yet." Angel turned to Buffy. "I'm going to go in the kitchen and talk to Dawn ok? Spike'll stay out here with you if you need anything."

"Don't leave me." Buffy said.

"I'm not. I'll be right in the kitchen if you need me." He kissed her forehead. "I promise." Angel took Dawn's elbow and led her into the kitchen.

Buffy stood there for a moment, then she sat on the sofa. Spike sat down on the coffee table facing her. He took her hands in his and looked at them. Then he looked up at her face and their eyes met.

"How long was I gone?" Buffy asked him.

"Hundred forty-seven days yesterday. Uh.. hundred forty-eight today. Cept today doesn't count, does it?" Spike said. "How long was it for you.. where you were?"

"Longer."

Suddenly the front door burst open and Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, and another girl stepped in. Buffy and Spike stood up.

"Is she here?" Willow asked.

"She's here!" Anya said.

"You're here!"

"We didn't know where you were." Xander said.

"You ran away." Anya said.

"Buffy!" Willow said happily.

"Are you okay?" Tara asked.

Buffy backed away a little as Spike slipped out the front door. The gang flanked her and shot too many questions at her.

"You're not a zombie, are you?" Anya asked.

"Are you in pain?" Willow asked.

"What do you remember?" Xander asked.

"What do you know about what happened?" Tara asked.

"Hey! Back off!" Angel growled. He went to her and Buffy grabbed his waist, burying her face in his chest to try and hide. "You did this. She's scared to death right now and you come in here and shoot questions at her. Leave her alone. Let her get used to being back." He turned so Buffy was in front of him and he gently lifted her chin. "Are you ok?"

"I'm ok." Buffy said softly. She turned to her friends who seemed to be towering over her, looking a little menacing. "I'm gonna be fine. I remember. You brought me back."

"What was it like?" Anya asked.

"I-I can't.."

"It's okay. You don't have to talk about this, Buffy." Angel said.

"Hey, do you want something? Anything. Pizza. I'll get you pizza." Xander said.

"Buffy likes pizza." Anya said.

"Yeah, something to eat.." Tara said.

"She doesn't want pizza." Willow said.

"I just meant.."

"HEY! I said back off." Angel said.

"Right, uh, Angel's right. We should just be quiet, and let Buffy tell us what she needs." Lita said.

"Who are you?" Buffy said.

"Me? I'm Lita. I was called when you.. You know.. I'm a Slayer."

A pained expression came over Buffy's face and she turned back to Angel. "I- I think.. I.. just wanna go to sleep."

"That's a good idea. You, you should sleep." Tara said.

"Right. Long day. But, Buffy.. be happy. We got you out. We really did it." Willow said.

She stared back at them, more uncomfortable with every passing second. "Tired." She said a little apologetically.

"Well, yeah. I mean.. jet-lag from hell has gotta be, you know, jet-lag from hell." Anya said.

Buffy didn't listen. She looked back at Angel. "My room's still.."

"Come on, I'll tuck you in." Angel said gently. He looked at Willow. "I'll be back down and we're going to have a talk. Do NOT go anywhere. The rest of you, go home." Willow looked down at the floor as Angel continued up the stairs. He led Buffy into her room. He started to turn on the lights out of habit, but Buffy caught his wrist. Angel looked apologetically at her and she returned the gesture with a soft kiss to his lips. Without thinking, more like on instinct, he wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. Then Angel jumped back as if he had been burned by her kiss.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"I'm sorry." Angel said.

"Why?"

"You're not ready. I shouldn't have.. I'm sorry."

"It's ok." Buffy turned away and looked into the mirror. She stood in front of it and stared blankly at her reflection. A door closed downstairs and Buffy jumped.

"Hey, it's ok." He walked over to her and rubbed her back. "It's just everyone leaving."

Buffy nodded and walked over to her bed. She picked up a picture from the bedside table. It was a picture of Buffy, Xander, and Willow all smiling. She put it back and went over to the wall. There was a bulletin board covered with more pictures of the Scoobies in various combinations, all smiling. Suddenly the images changed. All the flesh melted away and the smiling faces became dead skeleton faces. Buffy closed her eyes in anguish and opened them again. The photos were back to normal. She stared at them in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Angel asked behind her.

"No-Nothing. I just need sleep." Buffy said, walking over to the bed.

Angel said nothing. He helped her into the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin and kissed her forehead. "Sleep now lover. I'll be downstairs if you need me."

"Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked quietly.

"As soon as I talk to Willow, I'll come back up, ok?"

She nodded slightly and he walked out, closing the door behind him. Angel walked down the stairs and found Dawn and Willow in the kitchen. "Where's Tara?"

"She went home. I told her to." Willow said.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Made you and Dawn a family again?"

"No! You've destroyed the Buffy you once knew. She's never going to be the same again. And you shut me out Willow! All of you did! You knew there was a chance that she'd come back wrong. So wrong that you would have had.. that you would have to get rid of what came back. And I wouldn't let you because if any part of that was Buffy, I wouldn't let you. And that's why you shut me out. I get that. But because you shut me out, the woman I love is destroyed."

"How did I destroy her?"

"You're an idiot sometimes Willow. Did the thought ever occur to you all that Buffy wasn't in hell? Did it ever come to mind that she could have been in heaven? She's in anguish and it's not because she was in hell. Death was her gift. Peace in death."

"What?"

"Yeah. Death was her gift and you yanked it away from her because you all were selfish. She was HAPPY!"

"How do you know?"

"Damn it Willow! We're soul mates! Why wouldn't I know?"

"Did Buffy tell you.." Dawn started.

"She didn't have to! I can see it in her eyes and feel it in my soul how much she's hurting. She came to me in four dreams this summer and from the first one, I knew."

"Then why were you so sad? So depressed?" Willow asked.

"Because I couldn't be there with her! Because she wasn't in my arms! Because she was somewhere where she was happy and I wasn't. I was in a place full of misery. And now she's stuck here too! Do you know what she asked me when I first found her? She asked if this was hell. You have no idea how painful it is for both of us."

"Then help us all to understand Angel! Show us how much pain you both seem to be in! She's alive and you're not happy about it!? Why don't you make everything all better for her like you used to?"

"Maybe I should just take Buffy and Dawn away for a while. Let Buffy get used to living again without you people bombarding her every five seconds about where she was. She doesn't deserve to hurt this bad. Now every time she looks at you guys, her friends, she's going to hate it because you're the ones who took away her gift. The best gift she's ever received taken by the very people who were supposed to respect that gift. I know why you didn't tell me and you were right. I am pissed!" Angel slammed his hand on the island, making Dawn and Willow jump, and then walked outside.

Spike stood by the tree in the front yard smoking a cigarette. He looked over at Angel. "How is she, mate?"

"She's asleep." Angel said.

"You look just as pissed off as I feel."

"That's because I am."

"Because of what they did to Buffy?"

"Exactly." Angel sat on the steps and Spike joined him. He offered Angel a cigarette, but he declined. "Such armatures. They have no clue what they were dealing with. The only way to bring Buffy back is to use the darkest of magicks. I don't think Giles kept books like that."

"I got onto Xander's case about it too."

"What'd he say?"

"Bugger all. I told him that his little friends and him were messing with forces they couldn't handle. There's always consequences."

"Always. We've both lived long enough to know that. Buffy's friends haven't. But Willow knew there was a possibility that she'd come back wrong. That Buffy could come back so wrong that they'd have to get rid of what they had raised. And I wouldn't let them because if any part of that was Buffy, I wouldn't let them. They shut me out. That's why she shut both of us out."

"I hate to see what Giles does to them."

"You're not the only one."

A crash sounded behind them in the house. Spike and Angel ran into the darkened living room where Willow and Dawn stood staring at someone just out of view. Angel moved farther in and saw Buffy standing there. She was in a different outfit than what she'd gone to sleep in.

"What did you do? Do you know what you did? You're like a child. Your hands smell of death. Bitch! Filthy little bitch, rattling the bones. Did you cut the throat? Did you pat its head?" Buffy said. She grabbed a crystal ball off a nearby table and threw it at them. Willow and Dawn shrieked as it smashed on the wall above their heads. "The blood dried on your hands, didn't it?"

"Oh my god, oh my god." Dawn said.

"You were stained. You still are. I know what you did!"

Angel flicked the lights on and Buffy was gone. He ran upstairs and opened the door to her room. She was asleep in bed. He walked downstairs. "What the hell is going on?"

"That wasn't Buffy was it?" Dawn asked.

"No. She's upstairs asleep. She has no idea what's going on down here."

"I'll go check on Xander." Willow said.

"Yeah. Good. If this thing's after Buffy, I want everyone on it. I will not lose her again." Angel said. Willow left and then Spike. "Dawn, go on to bed. If you need me, I'll be with Buffy."

"You're not sleeping in your room?" Dawn asked.

"Yes. I'm sleeping in the room that used to be Buffy's and mine before she.. Now it's ours again."

He walked upstairs behind Dawn and headed into Buffy's room. Angel slipped his shoes off and his shirt and crawled into bed beside Buffy. She instinctively rolled over and curled up at his side. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. The rest of the night, she slept fitfully. Sometimes she would start to cry, other times she would jerk around in the bed and whimper. No matter what, Angel held her. When he tightened his grip, Buffy would calm down a little and go back into a peaceful sleep.



That morning, Xander, Anya, Lita, Willow, and Tara sat in the backyard on lawn chairs. Dawn was at school. Buffy and Angel walked out to them silently. She held his hand tightly. Angel was the only one she trusted completely at the moment.

"Can we do that? Kill it?" Xander asked.

"We killing something?" Angel asked.

They all jumped and turned to see Buffy standing half behind Angel holding his hand. "Buffy! You're not supposed to be up." Willow said.

"How, how are you feeling? Are you okay?" Tara asked.

"So what are we killing?" Angel asked, moving a little to cover Buffy. She squeezed his hand gratefully.

"A demon Buffy brought back from Hell with her." Anya said.

"She wasn't.." Angel started.

Buffy stopped him. "Oh."

"It's not like she's making it sound. A little haunting-type stuff. Boo- scary, everything's normal." Willow said, looking nervously at Angel.

"You guys shouldn't worry about it." Lita said.

"Um, I remember something, last.. night, uh.." Buffy said. She looked at Angel and trailed off, losing her focus.

"Baby?" Angel asked gently, stroking the back of her hand gently.

"Um.. the photographs. O-of us. They changed."

"How did they change?"

"They were.. dead. I-I-I mean, we were dead. Like, um.. dead bodies? But, but then they were okay. So I just, you know, figured it was me. That I was going crazy."

"Well, maybe you are. Going crazy. From Hell." Anya said. Angel stood taller and got that angry/brood look. "No. You're fine."

"You are. And Buffy, we're, we're so glad." Willow said.

"Yeah. This thing, this haunting thing, we'll fix it, and then we'll still have you back, which is.. it's so important." Xander said.

"Yes." Lita said.

"It's wonderful." Tara said.

"We should get to work." Buffy said. She tugged on Angel's hand and he led her back into the house.

"You ok?" Angel asked.

"I.. I don't want them to know. What they did.. It was.. They thought what they were doing was right."

"Willow knows."

"What?"

"I got mad at her last night. It slipped out. I'm sorry. I didn't you wanted.."

Buffy put a finger to his lips. "It's ok." She stepped into his arms and wrapped herself around him. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to cry, and embraced her tightly back. "I love you."

"I love you." Angel looked down into her eyes. "I missed you so much. It's a dream and a nightmare to have you back."

"Nightmare?"

"Knowing where.. Where you were. How happy you were. I never wanted this hell for you."

"Oh."

"Don't get me wrong, the dream part is the one that ends to take over. But Buffy, if I could, I would give heaven back to you. You never deserved any of this.."

"Angel, please. Can we just go get to work?"

"Of course."

As they headed out, Buffy looked at Angel as he climbed in the convertible. "Did you mean what you said?"

"About the dream and nightmare?"

"No, about taking Dawn and me away for a while."

"You heard that? You were up?"

"I heard that much. I was coming downstairs to find you and I heard you yelling at Willow. You were right though."

"About what?"

"Me not being able to look at them the same. They took away the peace I had been waiting for. I knew my friends and my family was going to be ok. That eventually their time would come and I'd be with them again. When I was yanked down.. It was the most awful feeling. And then waking up in that box.. I couldn't see, I couldn't talk or scream.. I couldn't even hear. I never thought I would have to go through that. And you were right.. About being disoriented when you wake up.. But after three months.. I was terrified Angel. I still am."

"It's ok now. I'm here. I'll always be here for you Buffy."

"Will you though? Take Dawn and I away for a while."

"Do you want me to? Do you want to go?"

"Yes."

"Then it's done. As soon as this thing is killed and not after you, we'll plan a trip."

"Good." Buffy scooted over next to Angel and he wrapped his arms around her as she laid her head on his shoulder. "Good."