"Has it turned black yet?" Angel asked as he paced the Summers' living room. Buffy had been gone two nights and it was going to be the third one in a little while. Willow sat on the couch watching the crystal while Dawn sat in the over stuffed armchair. Giles paced the opposite direction that Angel was going.

"Almost. I say a few more hours maybe." Willow said.

"Can you speed it up?" Dawn asked.

"No. I don't want to take the risk of it blowing up before it turned black."

"I hope she's ok."

"She'll be fine." Angel said. "I know she is. She has to be."

"She's Buffy."

"Right." Angel sighed. "She's Buffy."



Buffy heard Connor cooing and gurgling in his crib and she got up to see what he was doing. Angel had put him down for a nap once they had gotten home. She and Angel hadn't talked since coming back from the hospital. Buffy hadn't given him an answer. She was going to think it all over. Right now she was happy just taking care of little Connor.

"Hey there little guy." Buffy said, picking him up. "What are doing?" Connor gurgled with happiness and Buffy laughed. "You are just so precious, aren't you?" He gurgled some more. "Let's get you down to see your dad, hmm?" Buffy walked downstairs. Angel sat on the steps in front of her, but he didn't really hear her come down. Cordy stood in front of Fred with a cleaning bottle and a scrub brush talking dramatically. Gunn stood against the wall watching. Wesley was out and Lorne was upstairs sleeping. "Look who's up from his nap." Buffy said.

"Connor!" Cordy said. She started to go over to Buffy and Connor, but Angel stood and curled over Connor protectively.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Dirty people. Not touching the baby." Angel said.

"But pig-drinking bloodsuckers and demon fighting Slayers are okay? I meant that in a nice way. Okay, I'm gonna go wash my hands, but when I get back I get first dibs on baby snuggles." Cordy headed to the bathroom as Fred tagged along.

"Don't forget to get under your fingernails." Angel called. He turned to Gun. "Does she know?"

Wesley came in through the doors behind them. "Where is she?"

"In the bathroom. You get everything?"

"Yes I did."

"What's going on?" Buffy asked.

"Fred's birthday." Angel said.

Gunn and Wesley held up a cake that was in the shape of a book and waited for Cordy and Fred to come out. As soon as they did, everyone started to sing happy birthday.

"Oh you guys. I can't believe you did this." Fred said.

"Don't just stand there. Blow out the candles, girl." Gunn said.

Fred blew out the candles as everyone cheered. "Did you make a wish?" Gunn asked.

"I sure did. Ah, Mel Gibson was a busy?" Fred said.

"Oh, how disappointing for you. Well, I guess you won't be wanting the presents we.." Wesley said.

"Oh, wanting. Wanting presents." Fred cut him off.

Buffy watched the gang talk. She felt alone standing there. They had formed a tight bond and then Buffy came in and wedged herself in. She looked down at Connor who gurgled at her, feeling her unhappiness. She smiled down at him and stroked his hair as she walked over to the stairs and sat down. Wesley and Gunn walked over to Fred and gave her a huge wrapped present. She was smiling and laughing. Connor whined a little and Buffy looked down at him.

"Hey there kid." She said softly. "I'm not really your mom, but you seem to think I am. I wish I could be. It would be so wonderful. But I can't be. I don't belong here. I belong somewhere where you don't exist. You're daddy's there, but he's not your daddy. Hey, maybe the Buffy here will see you and fall in love with you just like I did. I mean, she most definitely will. I'm her. Technically. You and your dad can make her just as happy as I am when I'm with you and your daddy. That's if she'll take Angel back. They've been apart for three years here. That's a long time. But if I know me, the Buffy here will take Angel back. She still loves him because I still love him. I hope Angel remembers that there still is a Buffy here. I want Angel to be happy. He said he loved me, and he meant it. Just remember kiddo, love's a funny thing. Sometimes it's so joyously wonderful and other times.. It feels like your souls being ripped apart inside and there's nothing you can do about it. I wish I could promise that I'll always be here, but I can't. I know where I belong. But I don't want you to think that I don't love you. Because I do. One look at you and it was as if you were mine. I think you felt it too. You're your father's son. He loves you very much." Buffy leaned down and kissed Connor's forehead.

"I guess we have to talk to Willow then?" Angel asked sadly.

"You heard that?" Buffy asked looking up at him. Fred and the rest of the gang were laughing and talking and eating cake. Angel nodded. "I know how much you probably hate me.."

"I could never hate you Buffy."

"There is an upside to all of this."

"What?" he asked, sitting next to her.

"There's still a me here that needs rescuing. You said that she, me was really unhappy because of.. everything. Be her knight on a white horse and show her, me what she, me means to you."

"Is that what I did for you?"

"Pretty much. My friends, they tried to make me stay in Sunnydale. I couldn't. There was just no way. Too many questions about.. about where I was. And Angel, you.. you took me away without so much as a blink or a hesitation. You just knew that being away from everything would help me get better. Being with you would help me learnt o live again. And I know you can do that for this Buffy. Help her learn to live again Angel."

Angel looked at her, tears in his eyes. "When will you go back?"

"As soon as I talk to Willow. Figure out what to do."

"Can I come back to Sunnydale with you?"

"What about Connor?"

"He can come. He needs to meet the old gang. Buffy, should I take Buffy away to Ireland?"

"No. Just bring her here and show her the love you've shown me. From what you've told me, she's even more traumatized than I was because she had to go through the pushing and the questions. Show her how to live again. Show her that you still love her and that she belongs with you. A good Irish man once told me that no matter where you and me are, we'll always end up together. Every dimension. Every reality. One way or another. Make it happen now."

"This is weird. I'm saying goodbye to you, but I'm not."

"I know." Buffy sighed and looked down at Connor. "I'm gonna miss this little guy."

"Prophecies stretch across realities."

"Prophecy?"

"Connor was a prophecy. In the Nyazian scrolls I believe. We don't have them any more. Wolfram and Hart took them."

"Let's hope." Buffy paused and looked up at Angel. "It was a prophecy about two vampires right?"

"Yeah."

"Oh God. Darla.. She could go after my Angel! I need to get back. We need to go to Sunnydale. I need to talk to Willow."

"It's almost dark. I think I can manage. Let me grab my coat and tell the guys where I'm going."

"Angel?"

"Yeah?"

"Pack a bag."

"Why?"

"You're gonna need it."

Angel understood what she meant and he ran upstairs to pack. Lorne walked over to Buffy and Connor. She didn't realize he was standing there because she started to hum softly to Connor. "Hey there Blondie. How are things?" Buffy stopped and looked up. "Tense."

"Hey, here's a funny thing. I can read your aura and tell you your destiny." Buffy stared at him. "When you sing. And you are quite the songbird."

"Me? Sing? I was just humming. I've never sung."

"Maybe not the Buffy that's inside there right now, but the Buffy that belongs here has. A demon came to town and he was of the singing kind. He put a spell on the Hellmouth and everybody was in an instant musical."

"Wow. The things I'm glad I don't have where I come from."

"You're one big mess in there."

"Tell me about it."

"I meant the Buffy that's supposed to live there now."

"Oh."

"She's all jumbled and confused. Very unhappy with who she is. I think you've cured her though."

"Me?"

"By convincing Angel to convince her to be with him again. He's what she needs and she's what he needs. Besides, Cordelia and Angel would never work."

"Cordy and Angel!?"

"Yeah. That's the thing. Sometimes I can see into the future. I saw Cordy and Angel together. That just wasn't meant to be. The Powers never wanted that. You and Angel? You were meant to be. Your little witch friend is going to figure out a way to bind Angel's soul and things will be better for everyone."

"You ready?" Angel asked behind her.

Buffy looked up and smiled. "Yeah. Did you grab some clothes for Connor?"

"Sure did."

Buffy stood with Connor and waved at everyone. Angel grabbed Connor's car seat and they headed out.



"Is it black yet?" Dawn asked.

"Almost. Shouldn't be too much longer now." Willow said.

Angel paced the floor still. He was so worried, he felt like his head was going to pop. Nighttime had fallen and midnight was in a few hours. Willow had said that if the crystal wasn't black by midnight, Buffy could be lost forever because the crystal would never turn black. He looked over at Willow. She held the crystal in her hands as if it were the most fragile thing in the universe.

"Soon Angel. Soon." Willow said.

Angel glared for a second and then went back to pacing. "Will she show up here?"

"What?"

"Will she show up where we are now, or do we need to go to the spot she disappeared?"

"I think she'll show up here. I think."

"If not, Buffy knows how to get to her house." Giles said.

"I don't want her to be alone. If she comes back and I'm not there, I don't want her to worry."

"Want me to do a spell that'll make her show up here?" Willow asked.

"No!" Giles, Angel, and Dawn said.

"Geez. Sorry."

"It's just that a spell made Buffy go away." Dawn said. "What if the spell you were going to cast backfires and she ends up in prehistoric Sunnydale?"

"Well, she wouldn't survive." Giles said.

"What?"

"Prehistoric Sunnydale is not a place that would be pleasant. Dinosaurs wouldn't even come near it. Sunnydale was filled with demons of all kinds. All shapes and sizes. Most of them pure demons which means that they would be gigantic."



"Are you ready?" Willow asked.

Buffy nodded and looked over at Angel and Connor. "Willow, wait a sec."

"What?"

"I need to.." Buffy walked off without explaining. She walked to Angel and Connor. "Angel?"

"Buffy?! You decided to stay?" Angel asked happily.

"No. I just came to say that I'm not going to tell them about this."

"Why?"

"Because Angel would feel really bad about me giving up a life like this to be with him where I can't have children. I don't really mind. I mean, I have Dawnie to raise."

"Buffy.."

"Don't say it. I'm not leaving. Well, not technically. You'll have the Buffy here."

"You'd stay with me faster than she would."

"That's because I'm so in love with you it hurts. And Buffy does too. Three years may be a long time, but she still loves you. You're my soul mate. Nothing can separate us. Not even three years apart. You guys still talk. You told me yourself."

"I'm going to miss this Buffy that I'm talking to."

"I'm not that far away. Just bring Buffy around and you'll have me."

"Buffy. We gotta do this now." Willow said.

"Coming!" Buffy looked down at Connor. "Hey little guy. I'll miss you. Grow up and look like your dad. I highly recommend that. Actually, that's an order." Buffy looked up at Angel. "Good luck."

Angel leaned down and kissed Buffy lightly on the lips. "I'll do my best."

"Hey, Dawnie's rooting for ya. She always does."

"Buffy!" Willow called.

"Gotta go." Buffy walked into the living room. Willow just outside of a circle of candles positioned in just the right places. Each candle was at the tip of a point on a pentagram. "Where do I stand?"

"Right in the middle."

Buffy walked over to the circle, careful not to mess up any of the sand. She wished her other friends were here, but they had all gone out to the Bronze. Willow started to chant and Buffy started to feel weightless. She looked over at Angel and Connor who had just walked in to watch. Buffy smiled at him and gave a little wave. She mouthed good luck just as she blinked and went into blackness like before.



"It's black!" Willow said.

"Do it." Angel said.

Willow tossed the crystal on the ground and crushed it under her boot heel. A light flashed and then Buffy stood in front of Willow. She blinked and looked around. Her eyes settled on Angel. He smiled at her and suddenly she was in his arms. They shared a passionate kiss.

"I missed you!" Angel said.

"Missed me?" Buffy asked, trying to hide the fact that she knew she had been gone.

"You don't remember?"

"Remember what? The only thing I remember is fighting vamps with you earlier tonight and I blinked and now I'm standing in my living room. What happened?"

"I'll explain it to you later. Right now I want to just spend a long night holding you in my arms." Angel led Buffy up the stairs and away from her friends. No one complained. They just went about their business. Willow went home, Dawn went upstairs to bed, and Giles sat down to watch the news. Things were back to normal.