Hehe, the little competition meant lots of people reviewed. The winner will become clear in the next chapter – but it's only a small cameo mind.

Thanks to:

SeleneaD

Miz

Draco-FutureBF

Lexi

Charmedfanatic3000

Becks89 – oh u didn't sound mean, sorry if I came off mean in my reply! Update the Youngest Evans please!

Alexandra the half-wolf

Tiger Tiger2

Carmen

Chapter 21- Return to Sunnydale

Angel and Buffy stared at each other in shock until the unchecked vampire attacked Angel. Quickly he kicked it to the floor where Buffy staked it. She dusted off her hands.

 "Ewww, vampire dust," she commented.
 She straightened up and eyed Angel warily.
 "What are you doing here?" he asked, looking truly astounded.

 "Heading home for Christmas," Buffy answered. "We were on our way to catch a bus. Back to Sunnydale. What are you doing here?"

"I live here," Angel said bluntly. "I decided LA was the best place to be, loaded with evil. I thought you were being attacked."

 "Well I was," Buffy said with a smile. "But not so much with the damsel in distress." Sirius padded forward and nudged at her hand. Buffy patted his head to settle him.

 "Is that Sirius?" Angel asked suddenly. Buffy nodded and he smiled at the dog. Sirius barked at him and Angel looked surprised.

 "He's probably just a bit testy, you know running into my ex and everything." Buffy said without thinking. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth.

 "You mean you and he are…..?" Angel said uncomfortably. Buffy nodded.
 "Oh right," Angel said glancing away from her.  Buffy knelt down to Sirius.

 "Can you give us a second please?" she said to him and Sirius licked her face then trotted down the alley throwing one last hostile glance at Angel.
 

"He's not very trusting is he?" Angel commented dryly. "If looks could kill and I wasn't already dead…."
 "Well it's not exactly easy," Buffy admitted. "To run into you like this."
 "But not terrible right?" Angel said, eyes searching hers.

 "No it's good to see you, see how you're getting on," Buffy said meeting his eyes and smiling. "Fighting the good fight in LA."
 "Seemed like the best place to be," Angel said again. "Isn't he a little old for you?" Buffy looked at him in disbelief.
 "Right you can really say that," she said incredulously. "Angel, you're two hundred and fifty years old. If that's not too old then Sirius isn't."
 "Just checking," he said with a shrug. "Just as long as you're happy."
 "I am," Buffy said honestly. "I'm out of Sunnydale, living the strangest life you can imagine. And I'm loving it. And Sirius is great, he really is. He understands me. It's like he knows me completely."
 "I understood you," Angel said gruffly.
 "Lets not forget who walked out on who Angel," Buffy said lightly. "And I respect that, I do. We were good but it wasn't meant to be, it was never meant to be. It just took us a long time to figure that out." Angel nodded reluctantly.
 "We're better like this," Buffy continued. "We would've destroyed each other. At least now we can find someone right for each of us." She glanced back down the alley to where Sirius sat waiting impatiently.
Angel nodded.

 "Want to come and see the office?" he asked her. "Cordelia's working with me and this other guy Doyle. You'd like him." Buffy shook her head.
 "I can't, I'm sorry," she said. "Got a bus to catch." Angel smiled sadly.
 "See you around then?" he said.

 "Maybe," Buffy said. "Take care of yourself." She turned and walked back to Sirius and when she glanced over her shoulder again, he was gone.

Sirius snuffled at her hand impatiently when she reached him.
 "What are you like?" she said affectionately. "I was just talking to him. It's all sorted now. Come on." They continued their journey to their bus station.

When they reached the station, Sirius turned back into his muggle form. Satisfied no one recognised him, they bought tickets for the bus and some bus food.

After a short wait they got on the bus and found their respective seats, unfortunately not next to one another.
Buffy sat down in her seat next to a girl who stared out of the window into the LA darkness. Buffy leant around and looked behind her and waved at Sirius. When she sat back upright the girl was smiling at her.

 "Hi I'm Buffy," Buffy said, smiling back and extending a hand for the girl to shake.

 "Miz," the girl replied, shaking her hand. "Is that your boyfriend back there?"

"Yeah it is," Buffy said. "We got here kinda late to get seats together."

 "I could switch with him if you want," Miz offered. "That way you could sit together."

 "That'd be great if you don't mid," Buffy said, pleased. Miz got up, went over to Sirius' seat and then he moved down the aisle to sit with Buffy.
 "That was nice of her," he commented, sitting down.
 "Yeah it was," Buffy replied, settling more comfortably, Sirius' arm around her shoulders her head resting on his chest. Shortly, she fell asleep.

After three hours Sirius woke Buffy as they were pulling into the Sunnydale Bus Station. Buffy and Sirius climbed off the bus. Waiting on the pavement were Giles, Willow, Xander and Oz. As soon as they saw Buffy, they came rushing over to envelope her in hugs on by one.
 "I didn't think you guys were coming!" Buffy exclaimed. "I missed you lot!"

 "You sound all englishy!" Willow said, cocking an eyebrow at Buffy.
 "Yeah that's Sirius' influence," Buffy said glancing back at him fondly. Xander and Oz took their bags and they began to walk towards Buffy's home.
 "Your mom has gone all out," Xander informed them. "She's cooked the meal of all meals."
 "I can't wait to see her," Buffy confessed. "It's been what, four months? Ages!"
"What have you been getting up to in England then?" Oz asked. "Other than the obvious tea drinking sessions."

"Well, we saw London to start with, went to this whole Wizarding shopping mall place." Buffy began. "Then we saw Harry for like second before we left to go to Scotland. I saw Liverpool and you'll never guess who I saw up there? Spike!"

 "What was he doing?" Giles asked, brow furrowed.
 "Oh just hanging out in a demon bar, still moping over Drusilla," Buffy said dismissively.
 "What were you doing in a demon bar?" Giles asked sternly.

 "And then we had to do the hiking thing," Buffy continued hurriedly. "'Coz that guy, Kingsley Shacklebolt he kept following us. Had quite a few run ins with him actually, til I kicked his ass. Anywho, after that we had to hike up and then there was this werewolf time."

 "Werewolf time?" Willow prompted.

 "We got attacked by two werewolves on the moor." Sirius explained. "Big warehouse, kind of maze-like. Quite a scary time but it worked out okay."

 "So werewolves," Oz said casually. "Got to hate them I suppose?"

 "Not with a werewolf for a best friend," Sirius said with a chuckle. "Remus got bitten when he was a kid and we found about it when we were at Hogwarts. Plus, Buffy told me about you." Oz smiled gratified and Willow clasped his hand.

 "And then after that," Buffy continued excitedly. "We got to Scotland and right now we're living in this cool old village called Hogsmeade, right next to Hogwarts. In this house which every one thinks is haunted but is really just in need of a serious overhaul."

 "Have you found the man you need to find yet?" Giles asked curiously and Buffy and Sirius exchanged a glance.

 "Not exactly," Sirius said finally. "There have been difficulties. But things are looking up, it'll happen soon, I know."

 "And I saw Quidditch," Buffy broke in with triumph. "They play this game while flying on broomsticks!" She proceeded to describe the match she had seen the rest of the way to her house.