The first thing Buffy saw was Dawn and Connor watching her, awaiting any sign of consciousness. Upon opening her eyes, Dawn broke into an ear to ear grin, matched by Connor, who was holding Dawn's hand. Before she could say anything, she was assaulted by physical pain that racked her entire body. She was conscious, but she wasn't anywhere near healed and wouldn't be, she guessed for quite some time.

"Where...where am I?" Her voice sounded like that of a strangers' and her fingers refused to move, even though her brain commanded it.

"It's OK Buffy, you're home. You went away, but now you're back."

"Went away?" Buffy echoed, puzzle evident in her voice. All she knew at this point was that she was hurting and hurting quite severely. The actual memory of what caused the pain refused to be called to light. "Where did I go?"

"You went...you went to get my father." Connor told her, his eyes serious and his voice intense with gratitude. "You went to hell and you got him out. Thank you."

"Oh God," she murmured as the memories flooded back and she was reminded in vivid detail of all that had occurred in that hell dimension. The tests, the pain, the mental anguish, all of it. And she was out...safe, and so was Angel. Angel! Turning, she saw that he lay in the bed next to her, his chest rising and falling as he slept, seemingly quite peacefully. You won't be so peaceful when you wake up and the pain starts, she thought ruefully.

"Do you need anything Buffy?" Dawn asked anxiously. Buffy was barely paying attention to her. All of her was focused on her sleeping Angel, the man she had gone to hell and back to rescue and he was here in her arms, sleeping with the innocence of a small child.

"Will he wake up?" She asked softly, touching his face with her index finger and running it along his strong jaw line.

"He will in time. You beat him to it. You must have been stronger or something." Dawn replied. Buffy shook her head.

"He was far stronger than I was," she said, more to herself than anyone else. "If it hadn't been for his strength..."

"I should get the others." Connor offered, sensing that Buffy needed some time alone. Dawn agreed and the two of them vacated the room to fetch the group.

"Angel," she breathed, treating his name with as much reverence that befits a saint, or a holy person. "We've gone through so much, and you're still so beautiful to me. You've got to wake up. You have to open your eyes, so that I can say I love you."

"Well break out the bubbly and call it a party!" Lorne's voice exclaimed jubilantly from the doorway. "Dawnie was right...the slayer is awake!"

"We were really worried about you for a while there!" Fred told her sincerely. Buffy looked beyond them to see Gunn, Wesley, Dawn, Cordelia and Connor all entering the room. She smiled, albeit weakly in an effort to appear stronger than she felt.

"I'll get better," she told them. "Slayers heal fast."

"Good thing too," Cordelia told her. "You were in really bad shape when you came through that portal. We weren't sure you were ever going to wake up."

"But I did," she said softly. "Will Angel?"

"I would imagine so Buffy," Wesley said matter-of-factly. "It should be mere hours, even minutes until he does."

"I fought so hard," she murmured to herself. "He's so perfect."

"You brought back a hero," Cordelia told her gratefully. "A champion that LA desperately needs...that we need."

"Hey, I think he's waking up!" Gunn exclaimed, watching as Angel's eyes began to flicker and slowly open. Buffy didn't even realize that she had been holding her breath until he smiled at her, and she felt herself exhale, both with relief and a rush of love.

"Am I dead?" He asked through semi-closed eyelids. Then, he grimaced and continued. "No, not dead...hurting too much to be dead."

"I'm so glad you're awake Angel." Buffy said gently. Angel's eyes widened as he took in his entire surroundings as well as the feeling of his body and it's new workings.

"Buffy I'm....I'm breathing!" His voice was filled with awe and wonder, tears in his eyes of sheer joy. Buffy's breath caught once more as she realized that he was indeed breathing, that when she had watched him sleep his chest had been rising and falling with said breath and that the fact of the matter clearly meant that he was human. Not only had she gotten him out, but she had managed to leave Angelus in the hell dimension where he belonged. Only Angel remained.

"Angel!" She said breathlessly as she rain her hand over his chest, awed by the miracle of his heartbeat against her hand. Then the deja-vu hit her, and she remembered his fantasy shown to her in the final test. Her eyes hardened and she looked away from him, unable to bear him seeing the emotions running through her. Connor thankfully stepped forward and took Angel's attention away from Buffy however.

"We need to talk," he said finally. "There's so much to tell you so much....I uh...I'm glad you're OK."

"Thank you Connor," Angel replied, realizing that Connor's stiff words held more emotion than he meant to show. Perhaps there was hope for his relationship with the boy yet.

"Can you guys...." Buffy broke off, suddenly feeling incredibly suffocated by everyone who stood in the room. "Can you guys just back off for a little bit? Leave Angel and I alone? Please?"

"Sure Buffy, no problem." Dawn replied. "If you need anything, just holler. We'll all be right outside OK?"

Buffy nodded and watched as everyone departed, ignoring the intent way that Angel was gazing at her.