The answer was clear to Buffy, and yet after leaving the second room and the vision behind, the shock prevented her brain from working properly. It had been real. She knew somehow, deep down within her that the vision she experienced, the two of them in bed eating ice cream, Angel's humanity, was not just a wish on his or her part. Rather, that it had actually transpired.

And yet she knew it hadn't. She certainly had no memory of it, and there was no explanation for the fact that he was still a vampire. If the vision had indeed occurred at some point in time, why wasn't he still human? What had happened? Why had he let it all fall apart?

It was real and you know it! Her voice shouted from within her. You can feel it, you know it, you remember it. You were there.

Salt touched her lips and she suddenly realized she was crying. Her heart was breaking as she realized she was losing something so incredibly precious that she didn't even remember experiencing in the first place. Who would be so cruel as to take that memory from her? Why would he let his humanity go? How could it be real? How could it not be?

"You look troubled." The voice was that of Galendil's. He had come, clearly for her final decision and, hopefully the cessation of the challenges. "That's a good sign for me. It means you are undecided."

"Again you are wrong demon," she whispered sadly. "I know exactly which one is Angel and which one is Angelus."

"Really? Care to make your decision then?" Galendil folded his arms smugly, certain that she would pick the wrong candidate. The real vampire had made things easier than he had ever imagined, picking a vision so outlandish that the slayer would have to think it fake. Angelus on the other hand had been quite intelligent, picking a vision that Buffy would think to be Angel simply because it was entirely in the realm of possibility had it not been for the curse getting in there way.

Something as simple as the slayer waking up with her Angel beside her after making love for the first time was certainly something the doe-eyed teen would have dreamed for long after the nightmare had come to pass. Angelus surely knew that, and managed to capitalize on it. The slayer would pick him, he was sure of it.

"You are despicable." The slayer spat hatefully. Her eyes gleamed with a strange sort of triumph that made the demon God slightly uneasy. "I hope you and Angelus are happy together. Angel is the one in the second room."

Galendil let out a cry of pure disbelief and frustration. How could the slayer have gotten it right?

"How could you know that? That vision....it was so far off.....how did you....?"

"It's simple," Buffy said, the sadness returning to her eyes. "That vision...Angel's vision....somehow happened. He was real. He was human and I don't know what happened to end it, but I know that it was one vision Angelus couldn't distort because he wasn't there for it. Only Angel was there that day. And I choose him. I win. Now send us back."

"Very well." The God said calmly, too calmly for Buffy's liking. "I will honor my part of the bargain. I will send you and Angel back to your dimension, but I can't guarantee you will survive the journey as I intend to make it as painful as possible and if you two ever grace my realm again...."

"We won't." She said firmly, refusing to show any signs of fear she might be feeling when the demon God spoke of unimaginable pain. "We can take the pain and believe me we won't ever come back, now quit with the cheap threats and send us back."

"As you wish," Galendil said maniacally. He grinned so wide that Buffy gasped in fear at the grotesqueness of it. Suddenly Angel was beside her, looking confused as to what was happening.

She didn't have time to explain it to him however, as a bright light suddenly flashed before their eyes and they were rushing through some kind of portal.

It didn't hurt at first, and Buffy wondered if he had just been trying to scare them. Then the mind numbing pain took hold of her. She screamed almost inhumanely and so did, she realized Angel.

She looked around for him, but the pain blinded her and she was unable to see anything. It tore at her, cut her, slashed her, threatened to rip her apart from the inside. Tears streamed down her face in droves and gibberish rolled off her tongue. She began to prey for death, unable to handle the onslaught of agony she was enduring from the journey.

Say the word, a voice in her mind hissed. Somehow she knew it was Galendil. Say the word and I will end it. Say the word and you will be free of this pain. Say the word and you will belong to me. Say the word and I will make it stop.

God how she wanted it to stop. The phrase was being repeated over and over in her head and it was all she could do not to cry out and beg for mercy, cry out and beg for the demon to take her back to hell to escape this torment.

She bit down on her lip, eventually biting through the skin in an attempt to keep herself from giving in. She tried so hard, but the pain only intensified and she wanted so badly for it to stop.

"No!" She cried aloud, "I won't, I....no!"

"Buffy don't!" Angel yelled to her, from wherever he was. "Don't listen to him, ignore it! It has to end soon! Stay strong!"

"Where are you?" She called out to him. "Angel I can't, see, can't touch...I can't do this without you! Please!"

"Hold onto me," his voice was closer now. "Hold onto me Buffy. We'll be strong together."

And suddenly she was holding his hand. He was next to her, although she still couldn't see him, she could feel him. She was able to block out the enticing words spoken by the demon God and together the two of them fought the agony, fought the pain and waited until they would be delivered home.