Chapter Twenty-Six

Buffy looked down at Angel in wonder as he began to cough and she threw her arms around him, sobbing with relief. He coughed again, before speaking. "Buffy, I can't…breathe…" She lifted herself off him and looked down at him, confused. "But you're a vampire. You don't have to breathe." He hoisted himself up into a sitting position and slowly lifted his hand to cover his chest, his mouth opening in surprise.

Buffy replaced his hand with her own, her expression confused, before her face cleared and the most glorious smile replaced the confusion. "Angel! Your heart…" His eyes lit up and he whispered softly. "Shanshu." Buffy helped him up as the others congregated around them, confused.

She slipped an arm around his waist, caressing the side of his face tenderly. "Are you okay?" Instead of answering her, he simply bent his head and kissed her with unbridled passion, running a hand up and down her thigh and side. Faith whooped loudly before snuggling closer to Robin who placed a kiss on the top of her head. Angel looked out across the roof where he could smell the impending sunrise. A small smile lit up his face as he realised he could watch every sunrise and every sunset for the rest of his life.

Angel and Buffy sat on the balcony, watching as the sun descended and the moon rose. He was sitting on a recliner with Buffy in between his legs, her head and back pressed tightly against his chest as she drew patterns on his arms. She sighed in contentment. "This is perfect." He grunted in agreement, holding her closer and kissing the side of her neck.

When the sun had finally set, Angel swung his legs off the chair, stood up and scooped Buffy in his arms, watching as her beautiful white dress fluttered in the slight wind. He grinned down at her, pressed his lips to hers, then carried her through the clear door and lay her down on the huge hotel suite bed, carefully unzipping the dress and sliding it off, before running his hands over her in awe. He still couldn't quite believe that she was with him, and that she was his, finally.

She helped him off with his own clothes and pulled him down to lie on top of her, running her fingers through his hair. He nuzzled into her hand, then kissed her nose. "Ready to start your honeymoon?" She smiled wickedly and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer as he slowly slid into her, and she moaned softly at the sensation. "Never been readier." He met her lips in a searing kiss then slowly began to move inside his wife.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Three years later

Buffy swung Jess up into her arms, holding her daughter tightly on her waist as she giggled madly. Angel ran up to them, tickling Jess as she wriggling in her mom's arms, squealing. "Daddy! Daddy stop!" Angel took her out of Buffy's arms, cradling her against his chest before giving Buffy a scolding look. "You shouldn't be picking her up with the baby on the way." He indicated her slightly rounded belly and she sighed, nodding in agreement. "I know."

Willow and Oz walked out of the large house, Oz's arm around her waist as her arms cradled a small baby. Buffy hurried over, cooing over her godson lovingly, then Jess ran over and threw herself into Oz's arms, the two year old highly excited.

When they four adults and two children were seated, Buffy turned to Angel. "When's Connor coming?" Connor visited once a month to see his half-sister, his father and his step-mother. Although the past was complicated, they didn't dwell on that, only concentrating on the present. "Next week, he said he'll stay for a few days this time." The broad smile on his face was testament to how much he still cared for his son. They'd gotten to know each other better over the past few years and now their relationship was almost on solid ground.

Willow and Oz left soon after, and an hour after sun set, Spike and Faith arrived, and as usual they were wrapped around each other. Robin and Faith had stayed together for a few months, but eventually decided it wouldn't work and not long afterwards, Spike moved in. He was outrageously jealous at first of Buffy and Angel, especially when Angel got the Shanshu and he didn't. Knowing they could do normal couple things, go out for picnics, made him boil with anger. He wanted to be doing those things with Buffy. However, when he got together with Faith, he'd turned his obsession from one Slayer to the other. Buffy was shocked when the two of them had announced their relationship, especially after how terribly they gotten on before the battle with the First, but she couldn't deny they seemed to suit each other.

Buffy lent back against Angel, their hands entwined over her stomach, grinning up at him as she felt her baby kick. Their baby. Her and Angel. It kicked again and she closed her eyes in happiness.

That's the end! Finished! Hopefully you enjoyed it :-)