Buffy trudged heavily through the door to her studio apartment. She was finally home, well if you could call it that. 'Home' consisted of a room with a bed, a dresser, two kitchen cupboards, a tiny sink, a microwave, a mini fridge and a closet sized bathroom. She was actually thankful she was so small as there was no way anyone over her height could fit into the tiny shower.

After the day she'd had she couldn't even be bothered to shower. Eating was something she rarely did these days, when the pain in her stomach got so bad she thought she would collapse she would force herself to eat a burger or some fries. She'd lost so much weight since coming to L.A. she thought she might just fade away. Which she really wouldn't have a problem with. At least it would be easier, if she just didn't exist there would be no more pain.

She knew she deserved the pain, after what she did. But sometimes like tonight, it was unbearable and she just wanted it to stop. She'd been on her feet for sixteen hours without a break. She was covered in grease, various sauces, several different types of soda and she'd been groped and petted more times than she could count today. As she stripped and crawled under the threadbare blankets atop her tiny bed she reminded herself that her worst day would never even be a fraction of the pain and torture that her Angel, her love was going through right now in some godforsaken hell dimension.

Buffy knew, she knew that she deserved every single crappy thing that came her way. From the kid that threw his soda at her, to the endless men and teenage boys that thought it was funny to call her names, make sexual innuendos to her and grope her behind. It's why she never retaliated. She would take the names, the gropes and the snide comments. The pain in her back, legs and feet. The hunger that gnawed at her insides. The loneliness that threatened to consume her every hour of every day. The heartbreak that was so acute, so achingly strong that she felt a near never ending ache and pain in her chest, right over her heart.

She deserved it all for sending her love to hell. She deserved to not have a nice warm cosy house to call home, with a mom that loved and supported her. She deserved to not have any friends around to make her laugh, and help her through the bad times. She deserved it all. She'd take it all a thousand times over for eternity if she could just take back what she'd done to her Angel.

The same castigating thoughts kept whirling around in her mind, over and over. She didn't even realise she was crying until she felt the wet pillow beneath her head. She allowed her mind to wander, as she did every night. To why? Why did SHE have to be the slayer? Why did Angel have to be a vampire? Why did there even have to be any vampires? Any demons? Why couldn't she just live in a normal world, where she was a normal girl and Angel was her normal boyfriend?

The night continued on like all the previous nights since she'd ran away. With Buffy slowly dozing off as she sobbed herself to sleep, her thoughts asking why? Why her? Why Angel? Except tonight, just as she was about to slip into a deep sleep, Buffy made a wish. She wished that there was no evil, no vampires, no demons and that her Angel was just a normal human boy.

Across town, somewhere underneath the old post office, two heavenly beings argued back and forth as they did most days. Suddenly sister stopped and cocked her ear upwards. "Did you hear that, brother?"

Brother rolled his eyes before replying, "Hear what sister?"

Sister clapped her hands together with glee. "This! This, brother is what we have been waiting several millennia for!"

"This is not the moment you think it is, sister. This is just yet another heartbroken girl wishing to change her fate and that of her love."

"You're wrong!" Sister admonished. "This is no ordinary heartbroken girl. This girl is not only a slayer, but she is the strongest and most powerful slayer that has ever lived!"

Brother cast her a look but said nothing as she continued. "How long have we waited for a warrior with her strength and power to make a wish like this? Her reasons for doing so don't matter. What matters is the power that lies behind her wish. She has the power to rid this realm of all evil."

"Then we shall grant her wish." Brother replied condescendingly. "We will rid this realm of evil, vampires and demons alike. They will no longer exist, nor will they have ever existed. There is now no need for a slayer. She will be the normal girl she has always wanted to be. But we will not lower ourselves to grant her fanciful desires for her love."

Sister laughs at brother, he must always do everything in a harsh manner. "And why can't we give this great warrior what her heart desires? By making a wish as powerful as this she has rid the world of all evil. There is nothing written, nor is there any rule that we cannot give her what she wants. She has given up her life and the life of her love for the good of mankind. As higher beings we can grant her heart's desire if she is deemed worthy. And she is more than worthy!"

"Fine!" Brother snaps, "Let it be done." And with a wave of his hand evil disappears as if it never existed and Buffy has her wish.

Buffy could feel the heat of the sun on her face as she closed her eyes and turned her head upwards towards it's warm rays. Two strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind and she felt the warmth begin to radiate through her whole body. Opening her eyes she turned her head over her shoulder to look into the warm brown eyes gazing down at her adoringly. "I want to stay here forever, with you." She told her love.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be." Angel whispered into her ear. She brought her hand up to caress his face as she buried her toes in the warmth of the soft sand. The sound of the waves lapping over the sand as the tide made it's way closer and closer to them was suddenly dimmed by a familiar voice that threatened to bring her reality crashing down around her. Buffy could feel consciousness slowly seeping it's way in, making her wonderful dream gently drift away.

Buffy opened her eyes as her mother's voice called her from downstairs. "Buffy, you're going to be late for your first day of senior year if you don't get up now."

"I'm awake. mom." She shouted back groggily. Sighing, Buffy sat up and looked around her. She was in her bed, in her room, in her mom's house, in Sunnydale.

"What the hell?"