New York City 2003

Buffy opened the door to the large apartment she and Angel shared. It was a penthouse over looking Central Park. There was a small hallway as you opened the door. To her left, the wall was made of glass and you could see into the spacious living room. Everything was eggshell white. The couch was one of those couches that had a lot of seats and made a turn so it fit in a corner. There was a medium size TV with a DVD player and lots of DVDs in an entertainment center on the wall across from the couch. Angel's huge lazy boy chair sat at an angle to the TV. The Christmas tree was still up, but the lights were turned off.

Buffy kept on walking to her and Angel's bedroom. In here, everything was tastefully done in reds and dark whites. The sheets on the bed were red satin. The walls were all a dark white along with most of the furniture. The curtains over the windows were also red satin. She smiled. Angel had always had good taste. And speaking of her husband, where was that man at? Probably in the office. After she put her purse on the bed, she turned to go, but there he was in the doorway.

"Or not." Buffy said aloud.

"Or not what?" Angel asked.

"I thought you were in the office."

"I was. I just heard you come in. How was work?"

"Great. Sam says that I've become a real hit."

"She knows what she's talking about. She's just like her mother."

"Yeah she is. It's just too bad Sandra's in Milan this week."

"Yeah. So, big hit? I thought you were trying to stay far away from the lime light."

"I am, but I guess that I can't since I'm so great with giving advice." Buffy worked for the New York Herald as the latest advice columnist. Angel had gotten her the job because a lady he had saved a long time ago owned the paper. "And what about you? How are the kids?" Angel had set up a homeless shelter for kids. He ran things down there to make sure they went smoothly.

"Ok I guess. Kyle brought in some of his buddies from the Bronx and I had to set up some more beds. Not to mention break up a fight between two of them."

"Gosh. I just hope you didn't hurt any of them."

"No. I watched my strength."

"Good."

"Are you hungry? I was going to cook something. Unless you want to go out."

"No. Cooking is good. And I'm starved. What are you going to make?"

"A surprise."

"Well, I'll just go take a shower to pass the time while I wait."

"That's not fair."

"All's fair in love and war."

"So says you."

Buffy smiled at him and headed to the large bathroom. It was done in soft whites and golds. The bathtub was huge and it had jets in it to make it a Jacuzzi. The shower was rimmed with gold around glass. It was a fairly large shower. It made an octagon inside if you looked at it.

Buffy turned on the spray and got undressed. She took a fairly long shower. Every time she was alone, visions of that horrible night back in Sunnydale when her sister was taken from her came back to haunt her. It was in flashes now, but the pain of it still hurt. She could remember Willow and Xander and Giles' faces, but only vaguely now. It had been two years and Buffy and Angel had done their bests to forget. They never patrolled anymore. Rarely ever staked a vampire or killed a demon. They never talked about that night either. To everyone who had ever met them since they had left New Orleans, Buffy and Angel were just two normal people who were married and in love.

Buffy turned off the shower and wiped away the water from her face, slicking back her hair in the process. She wrapped a towel around her and stepped out of the shower and down the hall to the bedroom. She got in some baggy sweat pants and a large turtleneck after she dried her hair and put it up in a ponytail. Butting on a pair of socks, Buffy took a big whiff and smelt the sweet aromas coming from the kitchen. She smiled and walked into the kitchen.

Just like all the other rooms, the kitchen was no different. It was very spacious and had a large breakfast bar in the center of it. The tile was black, but the rest of the room was oak. The cabinets were oak and even the island was oak. The counter tops were black marble. The refrigerator was hidden. The doors matched the cabinets and everything else. The stove was black to match everything else and give it an even contrast.

Angel stood at the island, chopping vegetables. "Hey baby."

"Hey. Mmm, smells good. What is it?"

"It's a surprise, remember?"

"Not anymore." Buffy ran over to the oven and peeked in. A turkey was cooking and it was just about done. "Wait a minute. That's been here all day. Turkey's don't cook in an hour."

"I know."

"You planned this."

"Go look in the dining room." Angel smirked.

Buffy walked into the large dining room. It was done in a light golden color. The chairs all had coverings on them that were white. Dangerous since it was a dining room. The table was glass. On the table, a bouquet of red, long-stem roses sat in a glass vase in the middle. Next to one of the chairs, the champagne holder that came up to Buffy's waist held a chiller and a bottle of champagne. The bottle was wrapped up in a cloth napkin and a card stuck out of it. Buffy picked up the card and read.

"Happy New Year to my beautiful wife. I love you more than life itself. Here's to another year of love and happiness." It read.

Buffy smiled and walked back into the kitchen with a rose in one hand and the card in the other. "You're very, very conniving."

"I know."

"I almost forgot that tonight was New Years Eve."

"Well, now you know."

"That I do." Buffy kissed her husband and went into the living room. She sat down in the over stuffed lazy boy and turned on the TV. She flipped through station after station of the satellite package.



After dinner, they had watched MTV until about midnight and then Angel decided he wanted to go outside and see the ball drop. They walked out, all bundled up in their warm clothes, hopped into the Mercedes SUV Angel had bought her, and drove down to Times Square. They walked into the mass of people in jammed in there. Just as they got to a good spot, they noticed the ball starting to drop and everyone was counting down. When "Happy New Year" was yelled, Angel grabbed her into a huge bear hug and kissed her passionately. Buffy giggled and kissed him back. They stayed out for a little while longer, but the extreme cold got to them and they headed back up to their warm apartment.



Lita sat in her apartment watching MTV. She saw the camera swoop over everyone. Spike came in and sat down beside her, kissing her cheek. As Carson was announcing that it was officially 2004 in New York City and couples everywhere in the city were showing the love, the camera showed two people locked in a hot embrace. One was a petite blond and the other was a tall dark male.

"Hey, isn't that..?" Lita asked.

"No.. No it couldn't be. Is it?" Spike asked.

"You're right. It couldn't be them. I mean, they were never that high class, high profile." Lita turned the channel. "I miss them though. I can't believe it's been two years."

"Yeah. They were definitely the best. It was sad to lose them after Dawn died."

"What would they say if they knew about us?"

"Why? What should you care what other people think?"

"I was just making conversation."

"Sorry."

"It's ok. I'm in a pissy mood too."



"You must get them to come back. The Powers have given them plenty of time to grieve." The Oracle Woman said to Doyle.

"What if they won't come back?" Doyle asked.

"Then you will make them." The Oracle Man said.

"I don't even know where they are. Their friends haven't seen them for two years."

"It is not that hard to find them if one looks close enough." The woman said.

"What?"

"Here." The man waved his hand and a copy of the New York Herald appeared in Doyle's hands.

"What do I want with this?"

"Open it."

Doyle did as he was told. "I don't see anything that could possibly help me.." He stopped as he turned to the next page. A picture of Buffy was shown in the top left corner. The line next to it read "Ask Anne". "She changed her name?"

"So as not to be recognized so easily." The woman said. "But that is not all. Keep reading."

"Oh. She gives great advice."

"The last sentence in the last paragraph." The man said.

"Sorry." Doyle read the last sentence aloud. "'Don't forget to come out and support Anonymous Angel's tonight at 7:30."

"Anonymous Angel's is a charity home run by the vampire with a soul. It is one of the most successful children's homeless shelters in the New York area. He goes by his real name Liam to all that know him. Except her that is." The woman said.

"You will go and find them. Talk to them. Make them come back to the fight. They were out two most powerful warriors. No more grievance time will be given. Go."

A light flashed and Doyle stared around. It was Grand Central Station. "Great. Thanks guys. Don't even give me an address where I can find 'em!" A few people looked at him and he walked away.

Doyle went to the nearest restroom to wash off his face. The Oracles had called him when he had been asleep. So he was just now waking up. As he looked in the mirror, a familiar pain started at the back of his skull and then exploded outward. He was wrapped in the vision. It was a big building with hundreds of people coming in and out. He spotted one of them. A petite blond he knew was Buffy. He looked up and around. The place was familiar. Then the vision was gone. The PTB had just given him his directions.

When he arrived, people were bustling in and out of the place. He recognized Buffy immediately. She was hard to miss with her golden hair, her natural beauty enhanced just enough by makeup, and the way she walked. She exuded confidence. Doyle ran up to her.

"Anne?" he asked. The Oracles said she was going by that name in the paper. She didn't respond. "Buffy Summers?" She stopped and turned to look at him.

"That's not my name." She said.

"Then what is?"

"Not Summers." She turned and walked away.

Doyle ran after her. She didn't stop. "Wait! I need to talk to you."

"I don't need to talk to you."

"You know who I am?"

"Not really, no. Don't really care to."

"Probably not. I don't really want to be here either. But my people, they sent me to find you. To talk to you and Angel."

"How the hell do you know my husband's name? And mine for that matter? Who sent you?"

"I know more about you two than I'd like. Like, say for instance, you're the Slayer and your husband's a vampire, sorry, THE vampire with a soul."

Buffy stopped. "How do you know that?"

"I had a vision about five years ago. You met me in a pub in Los Angeles. I took you to find Angel."

"That's in the past. I don't have time for the past." Buffy started to walk again, faster this time. Doyle had a hard enough time catching up with her.

"Wait! Please wait!"

"It's my anniversary tonight. I have dinner plans with my husband. Excuse me." Buffy rounded a corner, slipped her hood on over her head, and disappeared into a large crowd.

Doyle sighed and leaned against the nearest wall. He needed a drink. Now.



Buffy sat in the restaurant with Angel across from her. He had taken her to a fancy French place called Le Mirabelle. She couldn't remember what it meant, but that was ok with her. Angel could tell something was wrong with her. They had gone through dinner without much of any kind of talking. And she wasn't as cheery as she usually was on a special occasion.

"Hey, you ok?" Angel asked.

"Just thinking." Buffy said.

"About what?"

"I, uh.. I saw Doyle today."

"Doyle? What was he doing here?"

"Looking for us. He said he needed to talk to us. He was pretty desperate."

"You think he's here to try and get us to slay again?"

"I don't know. I really don't care. I don't want to slay. I made a vow that I'm sticking to. If Dawn died, I quit. Well, she died so I quit."

"Buffy, that was a little callus. Maybe we should hear him out?"

"Maybe, but if the words slaying and apocalypse come up I don't want anything more to do with it."

"Fine. Same here."

"Good."

"What if he can't find us again?"

"He knows where I work. He was waiting for me outside the building. Stupid picture. I told Sam I didn't want my picture in there with my column. And not to mention yesterday's paper reminded everyone about that benefit down at the shelter. So he should know where you work too. He'll find us. If it's that important, he'll definitely find us."

"Right." Angel looked around a bit. "You wanna get out of here? Go home maybe?"

"You know what? I wanna go do something that we were supposed to do when I was 16."

"What's that?"

"Follow me."

Angel paid the check and they left the restaurant. Buffy got into the driver's seat and told him to close his eyes. He did so and she started driving. They were only in the car for ten, maybe fifteen minutes before she stopped.

Angel opened his eyes as he and Buffy started to walk. "This is Central Park."

"Duh."

"I've been here plenty of times."

"I know, but we've never done this." They arrived outside of the ice skating rink that was there. "This time there will be no Order of Taraka to bother us. It'll be just you and me."

"It's closed."

"Didn't stop us from getting into the one in Sunnydale."

"All right."

"Besides, people know who we are. When you're a celebrity, anything is possible." Suddenly the lights overhead came on and slow, romantic music came out of the speakers. "Told ya."

Two pairs of skates laid on a bench near the ice. One was a white pair obviously cut for a woman and the other was a black pair cut for a man. Buffy dragged Angel over and showed him how to put them on properly. Tighter at the ankles for better support. Buffy went out on the ice and made sure she still knew how to skate since it had been a while before she went to Angel and gingerly helped him out onto the ice.

Angel learned pretty quick and soon he was skating around the rink without Buffy's help. Every now and then he would stop to watch Buffy move gracefully over the ice. She made smooth turns and small jumps, skating backwards and spinning sometimes. Things weren't perfect in their lives, even though they made it to be that way. Neither of them had been the same since that night in Sunnydale. The night Dawn had been taken away.

Angel felt like sometimes Buffy hated the sight of him because it had been Angelus, his look-a-like-from-another-dimension, that had had Dawn killed. All because the Powers had yet again been unfair to the Summers' family. It hurt to think that Dawn was supposed to grow up and be a higher being. She had even started getting feelings that told her what was going to happen in a situation. Maybe one day Dawn would be able to come back to them. If not in Dawn-form, but some other way. Two could always hope.