A/N This starts sometime in season 3 of BTVS

Chapter 1

Shoes. . .

Her mom thought that she spent an abmornal amount of money on shoes and her mom was right, she did. Demon goo just didn't come out of shoes. Sometimes she was lucky and it did come out of her clothes and sometimes her once beautiful outfits ended up deep in the trash . . . along with her shoes. Thankfully, today, she had been wearing her designated demon slaying shoes (tennis shoes from Payless, 5 dollar on sale. Yea!).

Angel looked at her curiously. Buffy was lying flat on her back in the middle of the graveyard. He could tell that she wasn't hurt, "Buffy?" He whispered her name quietly trying not to surprise her so much that she attacked him.

She sighed. She had known this moment of silence wouldn't last long, and even though it was Angel interrupting she was still sad to see the quiet go, "Hmm?"

He laid in the grass beside her, but didn't quite touch her, "What'cha thinkin' 'bout?"

She smiled dreamily, "shoes."

He caught her hand in his and squeezed it tightly. Not quite sure about her thought process he questioned further, "What about shoes?"

She sighed again, "I always have to throw them away." Than before he could ask anything more, before she felt compelled to tell him the whole truth of what she was thinking, she stood up and ran.

He met up with her later that night. She was curled up around a pillow on her bed and crying silently. He slid through her window and curled around her protectively. "Buffy, whatever it is, it'll be okay."

"Angel," she whispered than began to cry even harder. Angel tightened his hold on her.

When she had finally cried herself out, she rolled over so they were touching foreheads. "If everybody in the world knew would it be easier?" She paused than added, "Or harder? Would normal people be an asset or a hindrance?"

"Truly, Buffy?" He paused a moment as if waiting for her to say no, "I don't know. Does it even matter, we can't change denial."

"I know. Really that's not even what I'm thinking about. My mom was on me about grades again. I like to learn, really, I just don't have time. Just staying alive takes up the majority of my week, schoolwork just isn't that important." He stroked her hair and waited patiently for her to get to the real thing that was upsetting her.

"I'm going to die." She said it matter of factly, "Not like last time. Not for a few seconds and someone brings me back to life," she hushed him before he could argue with her, "Maybe tomorrow, maybe not. Maybe a year from now. Maybe not. But I am going to die, and sooner than most people think. Everyone, even you, is in denial, but I know. Sometimes I see it in my dreams. I'm a slayer. Slayers die. I'll die." Again she hushed him before he could make any type of protest. "I'm not going to graduate from college. I'm not going to have a husband or kids. I'm not!" Buffy kissed him lightly on the lips, "But it's okay. I've figured it out, that's why fate sent you to Sunnydale, to me. At least when I die I'll have loved, have been held in the arms of my soulmate."

There kiss deepened and they held each other tightly promising themselves that they wouldn't be the ones to let go.

Very far away and yet very close two beings discussed the warriors.

"She is very wise."

"Yes. But he is not. He will not stay. We know this."

"I do not believe this. In their hearts, where even we cannot see, cannot touch, they will always be together. No one can predict the future they, we, can only see the points at which choices are made."

"And in their future? What choices do we see? None. We see blood. Only blood."

"Blood comes from the heart does it not?"

Again the hall fell into silence.

Deep within the ether of everything Good trembled in fear.

Buffy and Angel both felt the tremors and both of them wondered if the other felt it too. Neither of them mentioned it, but both would remember it.