Part 5

Angel had finally after about 10 tries gotten the car started. He'd just dropped Cordy off at the hotel after she'd remembered that there was stuff there she needed. Thus she didn't come to the Mansion with him, and didn't get the car.

She hadn't really cared, and neither had he, Angel just wanted to go home and crash. He definitely hadn't got his time schedule switched, thus he was still up all night, sleep all day. But he was working on it, and was tolerating the day better now.

He parked his hot, black, convertible in the garage, happy to get out of it. He walked down into the garden and got his keys out of his pocket. That morning he had discovered, once he woke up, that he needed to breathe. It was slightly difficult to remember to breathe all the time, but it was slowly becoming routine. As he strolled along the walk, he all of a sudden noticed something new, Thump.. Thump... Angel grinned at this, "I have a heartbeat now, too."

He looked up hearing something from inside, he furrowed his eyebrows and walked over to the door. Angel listened closely with his ear up against the door, he heard footsteps... of little petite feet. His eyes widened, "Buffy," he breathed her name so soft that he could barely hear it. He ran his hand through his hair, and decidedly turned away leaving.

"Stop," cried a desperate, hurt Slayer. Angel whirled around to face her, and tried to fake pain as he jumped out of the sunlight. "Nice try," she said on the verge of tears, neither happy nor sad, they were just there. Buffy didn't know whether or not to be glad that it was true, or angry that it was true, and he was hiding it from her.

Angel opened his mouth to speak, but she silenced him. "When are you going to inform me of what's going on?" she questioned sympathetically, she was softening seeing his beautiful form in the sunlight.

"Why don't we go inside," he suggested, and she nodded. They walked into the Mansion and sat down on the couch.

He sighed, and took a deep, now needed, breath, "I..." Buffy forced him to look into her eyes by tipping his chin up. She now could only feel that she should be glad that what was happening was, "Tell me. Please, I need to know what's going on. I want to know what's going on..." Angel could only stare at her, amazed at the kindness that showed in her voice, She still loves me...

"I guess I'll just get it out quickly," Buffy nodded for him to continue, "I-I'm part human." Buffy gasped and reached out to place her hand on Angel's chest.

"I can feel your heartbeat..." she told him, without realizing what she had said, but she hadn't remembered, not really. The memories were there, she'd just never looked for them until now...

Buffy jerked her hand away, and put it on her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut she leaned onto Angel. Images racked her mind, body, and soul. She could barely focus on one, before another would rush in her to take it's place. "Buffy!" Angel cried, worried, knowing only to holding her as she shivered.

About the only thing that she could decipher out of it all was that she and Angel were happy... very happy. And he was human, a mighty, dang, fine, one, too. Then he gave it up, to save her life. When all the visions were over, she thought about what she had just seen, Oh my... it all happened... that was all real. She sat still a moment, then the sobs came, and she cried for what had been lost, and for what could now be again.

"Angel... Why didn't you tell me?" Buffy almost screamed in-between sobs.

"About what, Buffy, about what?" he whispered in her ear soothingly.

"About the day, the day they took away from us," she told him, the tears slowing and then stopping as she looked into his beautiful brown eyes. He backed away from her slightly, then pulled her as close as her could possibly get her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want you to have to carry that," Angel told her as she laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart go, 'Guh Gung... Guh Gung...'(I had to put that in! It's from Dirty Dancing, for those of you deprived children whom didn't realize! My like fave movie of all time!).

"But we can have it now... Remember, you're almost totally human now," she informed him, clutching at him, scared he would tell her that they still couldn't be together.

Angel laughed, "I almost forgot. It's so hard to get used to it."

Buffy dared to hope, "Does that mean..."

He frowned for a split second, then recovered with that million dollar smirk, "Only if you want to..."

She lept into his arms, "Oh do I ever! I've missed you so much!"

Then they both thought of something, Angel put it into words, "What about Riley?" She looked a little sad, but only because she knew she'd break his heart, she could tell that he really loved her. "I'll let him down easy... make sure he realizes that he is a decent guy... just not perfect, and perfect is all I can settle for now. Well, I won't tell him that part," she smirked at him, and he returned it.

Then they kissed, putting everything into it, telling each other all they'd went through in the past months of separation. They leaned back onto the couch... and well you know... wackiness ensues...

That Night

Buffy awoke in the arms of her Angel. It felt like that day that had been lost, had just been found. They had made love all day, and she'd never felt more joy in her life.

Angel also felt that way, and as she watched him sleep, she could only think of him, and how their lives had changed so much. For the better.

He looks so peaceful, Buffy thought, running her fingers through his hair, So happy. I can't wait to tell Will, and the others what's happened. Angel yawned, and rolled over to face his beloved. They smirked at each other, and gave each other a little kiss. "How are you going to go about telling them?" he asked, reading her mind.

She smirked, "Well... I figured I'd stake you in front of them, see what happens to you, then tell them what happened... If you aren't dust... You wouldn't be dust, right?" She acted innocent, and confused and he just acted confused, but went along with it.

"I don't know really..." he told her sitting up in bed, moving a little bit away from her. Buffy chuckled,

"I can't believe you thought I was telling the truth! No really, I thought that we'd surprise them, like you surprised me. Let them see you in the sunlight, then let them ask questions."

Angel looked extremely relieved, and Buffy pulled him back down onto the bed. "Sounds good to me. This'll be fun," Angel commented, as he leaned down to kiss her.

"Um..." she said, then gently pushed him off her, "When are we gonna do that?"

"Tomorrow..." he breathed, then pulled her to him again.

Buffy giggled, "Yeah you're right, we don't have enough time to get over there before dark... 4 or 5 hours definitely isn't enough time to get there." They had both convinced themselves of this, and stayed in bed for the next 20 hours or so.

"Hum..." Buffy woke once again in the arms of her lover, and contentedly stayed there until a few minutes later, when he realized she was awake.

"Buffy?" he questioned,

"Buffy..." Angel turned his head to meet her hazel eyes, "Good morning..."

"Good morning," she replied cheerfully, giving him a kiss.

"I think we'd better call the gang and get them at Giles's house... before we decide that we couldn't make it there in 8 hours," Buffy commented, getting a chuckle out of both of them.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. I'm going to go take a shower," Angel slowly moved out of bed and into the bathroom. Buffy looked after him longingly, but soon turned back to the telephone.

She dialed the dorm room, and Willow picked up. "Hello?" she questioned groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"Willow Rosenberg, I can't believe you slept in until 10 o'clock!" Buffy said mockingly, a big grin on her face.

"Sorry... Giles had us up all night researching-" Willow yawned, "Sorry, researching this thing, then it turned out that it wasn't supposed to happen until like, 2060 or something!"

Buffy grimaced as Willow's voice rose, "I was wondering if you could meet me at Giles', I want to tell you guys all something, kay?"

Willow yawned again, "Sure, do want me to get ready now."

Buffy nodded to herself, "Yeah, I'll be ready here in a bit, I just have to call everyone else."

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit then! Bye!"

"Bye!" Buffy called back, then hung up the phone.

She was about to lay back on the bed, then thought of something. With an evil grin on her face, "I think I'll go check on Angel..."

About a Half Hour Later

Buffy and Angel had taken their showers, not necessarily at different times... And they were now dressed and ready to go. Buffy had also called Xander(and Anya technically, she was at Xander's), Giles(to tell him they were coming, and Spike since he was there), Cordy, and Riley. "I guess we can leave now..." she trailed off, and went over to Angel's side, and gave him a short kiss.

"This'll go fine," Angel told her, then lead her out to the car. They hopped in and were off to Giles's house.

When they got there Buffy spoke, "You stay out here for a bit, then I'll come get you when everyone is here and ready, kay?"

Angel nodded, and gave her a kiss, "For good luck." Buffy grinned and walked up to the house.