Buffy sat up and started to inch away from Angelus. She should have known this wasn't Angel. That would be too easy, and if her life was anything it was never easy. Angel had a nice smile but never the devilish grin that always seemed to appearon Angelus' face.

She got off the bed and walked over to a chair in the corner. She sat down calmly and looked at Angelus with a puzzled eyes and a grim leer. What was she going to do? Why had she found herself with Angelus? She sat there for several minutesthinking about the situation. She never took her eyes off of him, staring with intent and purpose and it made Angelus nervous and edgy. He needed to take back the situation before Buffy got the upper hand.

"What, cat got your tongue? Never seen you so quiet Buff, usually you always have some smart ass comment to make. Not so quick today, are you?"He wanted her to say something so he could find out what was going on in her pretty little head.

Her starring was intense but you could see the wheels of thought spinning thru her eyes. They sat there for a long time then a smile began to form on her lips. She finally figured out what she needed to do; she knew when it was over she intended to thank the one person who helped her without his knowledge.

"Ok Angelus, we are here together for a reason." Buffy stated with a wide grin.

"Yea, you and soul boy think you can put me down. Well I'll tell you now, that's not going to happen. I hope you don't think I'm that easy." Angelus stated loudly then leaned back on the pillows of the bed putting both hands behind his head.

"I know, don't you think I know you? Listen, like I said, we are here for a reason. You need to put some clothes on and so we can get out of here. This little drama needs to play out, and I don't think sitting in here all night trading insults is going to get us anywhere."

Buffy stood up and threw his pants at him.She couldn't help but look at his handsome frame. He was totally nude and wasn't going to hide from her. She could feel her face flush with heat and tried to calm herself at the sight of his gorgeous body. She always marveled at his toned physicand the way he carried himself was so damn sexy. They needed to get this over with; there would be time later to ogle at his body. Angelus took his time getting dressed he knew she was watching him, and he could smell her arousal in the air, and it was intoxicating.

"Like what you see lover? We don't have to rush off just yet. Want to have a little fun first?" He started walking towards her and she could feel her body heating up even more at the thought of his hands all over her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 'Get a grip Buff; you can do this' she thought to herself.

She held up her hand, "Just get dressed, and for gods' sake, and would you please get over your self." She laughed lightly and walked out of the room before her resolve melted and she gave in to her lust. Angelus turned around laughing and got dressed.

"So, were to now? You seem to be knowledge girl in this quest, so lead away." Angelus motioned towards the front door.

They walked together silently, glancing at one another ever so often but also not paying attention to where they were actually going. When they finally stopped they were in an alley not far from the Bronze. They both looked at each other in acknowledgement, they knew where they were. They walked into an old apartment building and to the front door of a familiar place.Angel's old apartment; the one he lived in before Buffy sent him to hell. She opened the door and they walked in together.

"Great, this is the last place I want to see again. Well I guess it wasn't so bad, you did help free me here, and OH what a night it was. You remember, you and soul boy,how sweet the memories... I think I may be sick. Lets go, there is nothing here." Angelus began waving his hands in the air as he spoke. He had an uneasy feeling about this, he knew he wasn't going to like where this was going.

"Just wait, don't be such a baby. You don't think this is hard for me too. Let's just see what happens." Buffy then turned her attention to the door. She knew where they were and what was going happen. She wanted Angelus to see it all before she did what she had to do.

A few minutes later they could hear someone coming. It was Angel and Buffy. They were wet and she was out of breath. They walked in the door and he looked at Buffy and said, "Your shivering" She replied, 'cold'. He walked to his closet and took out some sweats, walked over to her and told her to change and get under the covers of his bed just to warm up.

Buffy and Angelus just stood there watching the whole scene unfold before them. He watched Angel caress the cut on her back and the sweet talking between them. He said nothing just watched as the scene unfolded before them. They made love in the bed and then fell asleep together looking very sated and peaceful. Buffy remembered it all too well. She stood there next to Angelus and watched his face. Just to see his expressions during this; she wanted to see if he gave off anything. She thought she could feel him inching closer to her. She didn't budge; if he needed to be closer she wouldn't back away. It was all going according to plan.

Just when it all got a little too quiet, Angel boltedstrait up in the bed. Gasping for unneeded breath and holding his chest. He falls out of bed and gets dressed. "This is the part I love best. Oh here it comes." Angelus finally breaks the silence. They both follow Angel out to the alley.

Angel falls down in the street. He's groaning in pain and yelling for Buffy. Then the rain stops and the whole scene freezes.

"What, no ending, I hate when it stops just before the good part?" Angelus strolls up next to Angel lying in the street. "What is the point of all this. I don't get it. We already know what happens here." Angelus just bends down and stares at Angel.

"This is where it all began Angelus. This is where you need to open your eyes. This is you, you are Angel and Angel is you. You need to stop fooling yourself. Just because you have a soul and can feel pain and anguish doesn't mean you are two separate people. You try to pretend its not you but I know it is." Buffy walked slowly towards him as she spoke.

"You have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not him. I would never spend years in the gutter living off discusting vermin. And I don't fall in love with slayers. He's weak, he couldn't even hold on to you. If I loved you, I would have never left."

Angelus turned to Buffy and was yelling in her face. "I don't know Buff; I think you've gone mad. Or it could be the drugs you took." He was smiling at her now but you could tell he was getting angrier. She had crawled into that space he now had, the one that made him feel human and he hated it. How could she say he was Angel? He did feel a bond between them but he fought it with everything he had. She made him feel, the Scourge of Europe, how was that possible?

"Ok, since you can say and do things with no remorse, tell me you don't love me. Tell me you feel nothing when we stand near each other. Tell me you don't want to kiss me right now." Buffy closed the distance between them. She was standing so close he could feel her breath on chest. She stared at him not with fear but with love and wanting in her eyes. She was daring him to kiss her; she wanted it, she wanted him.

Maybe she was crazy; she knew this had to work. After everything that had happened with Spike, she knew that Angel was fooling himself. He thought it would be better if he separated himself from the vampire within. That if he made it like he was two different people it would hurt less. She needed to break down that barrier, make him see himself. She knew she had to love him all, not just the good parts of him but the parts that were not so good. If he could see that then maybe, just maybe they could lift the curse and he could finally get some peace.

Angelus was stunned. He didn't know what to do. He stared into her hazel eyes and saw the love that stared strait into his very being. He tried to deny that he felt anything but hate, but at the moment all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and kiss her passionately. He grabbed her arms and pulled her closer trying to scare her away or get her to run from this crazy scene. She didn't flinch, she just moved even closer to him. She reached her hand up and caressed his cheek. He melted into her touch and closed his eyes breathing in her scent.

They stood there for a minute and he opened his eyes to look at her once more. He could not resist the urge anymore. He bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips. She welcomed his cool lips on hers and ran her hand to the back of his head to bring him closer and deepen the kiss. He could feel every part of his body start to heat up it was like a fire in his body that started at his lips and shot down to his feet. He knew then loved her and all he wanted was to love her for all eternity. He wrapped his arms around her to draw her in even closer. They stood in the cold alley kissing each other with a fiery passion.

When they finally broke their kiss they stared at each other for a moment, neither knowing what to say. Then Angelus growled loudly, "I think you are the evil one here Buff. You think you can seduce me that easily. I know what you are trying to do and it won't work. I am evil; nothing you can say will change that. I kill, I feed, and that's how this works. I am a demon, evil by nature. You think you change me with a kiss?"

Angelus was screaming at her but she wasn't scared and didn't back down one inch. "I know what you are. I was made to kill you. But you are who my heart belongs to and I know you love me. Stop trying to be the big bad and open your eyes. You can have it all if you want, just stop fighting it. You are Angel, soul or not, so stop trying to act like you don't know who you are Angelus."

Angelus just looked at her stunned; she was starting to get to him. He knew she was right on some level but he was having a hard time letting go of the fact that he was demon, and incapable, or so he thought of the very feelings he was having. He felt like he was being pushed in a corner, made to do something he was not designed to do and he needed to stop whatever hold she had on him now.

He stunned Buffy by throwing a punch to her jaw sending her stumbling back a few inches and she shook her head at the sting. 'Ok, he wants to play it this way' she thought, and she swung at him as hard as she could, connecting with the left side of his face and knocking him to the ground.

"Stay downor I will knock you down again. If I have to beat some sense into you I will. Stop this stupid act Angelus, I know you love me. I felt it in your touch, in your kiss; you want me just as bad as I want you. All your running and hiding won't work anymore. I know you now, and I won't let you go." Buffy was standing over Angelus her fist raised ready to knock him back down if need be.

"How did you know all of this? What makes you think your right?" Angelus asked her in almost a whisper. "Well let's just say a friend opened my eyes to it and leave it at that for now." Buffy answered his question and then turned to look at the form of Angel lying in the alley. Buffy could tell by the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice that he was finally giving in to her. He wanted her and he loved her and now it was time to make it all official. But what were they supposed to do now Buffy wasn't sure of.

"So, what now, how does this work?" Angelus said as he rose from the ground. He walked over to Buffy and grasped her hand tenderly. She welcomed the touch and gave him a nudge with her arm.

"I just needed you to realize that you were you no matter the soul or not. You have it in you to be the man and the champion. I have faith in you. You just need a little in yourself. As far as the rest goes, I'm not really sure. I was hoping that just you realizing that would be enough." Buffy then turned to him and gave a sigh.

"I know what to do." They both looked to see who was speaking. When they turned around Angel was now standing and walking towards them. "We need to be whole. One person, so we……..merge." He said it as though they should already know.

Buffy's eyes lit up. She knew what he meant. "Yes, you merge together like one man, vampire and soul. I knew it; this is so going to work." She was almost jumping for joy and both Angel and Angelus couldn't help but laugh at the display of glee she was now showing.

She moved aside and Angel approached Angelus. They reached out for each other and began to slowly touch one another. It was like once they actually touched they turned into ghost like figures and melted into one.

Angel was solid again and turned to Buffy with a grim that reminded her of Angelus. She returned it with a warm smile and couldn't stop the tear that spilled down her cheek as her eyes scanned over his form. They kissed for a moment and then looked at each other like they were seeing each other for the first time.

"Thank you Buffy, I would have never wanted to admit that Angelus was a part of me. I wanted him to be someone else….I think I needed him to be someone else. I never thought you would love me if I were this soulless monster. I still don't know how you could accept this? I have done so much damage as a vampire; I never wanted to think any part of that was actually me." He put his head down and she slowly put her hand in his. "I still don't know how this spell will lift the curse though." Angel was feeling like they failed in some way.

"I know, the things you did when you didn't have a soul, I lived it remember, and I know it had to be hard to live with. You have to get past all of that now. You did it then and now you don't. I still love you, all of you. Man and beast, you have my heart no matter what. Now as for the curse, the only thing missing is the potion, and I think I know how you get it though. Bite me."

"What! No Buffy, I can't do that again. Even if we are in a dream state, if I take too much you could die. I don't want to loose you now, not when we have finally found a way to get rid of this curse." He slowly backed away from her with fear in his eyes.

Then itwas like a light went off hin his brain and he had renewed hope. "Wait; since I bit you to get here shouldn't I already have the potion in me?"

"No, you have to do this. It's the only way we can go back. Don't be scared, I'm a big girl I can handle it." She ran her hands down his face to his neck and down his chest. "Don't you want to go backto our real life?" She asked him with pleading eyes.

"Yes, I do, but…….. I can't keep biting you every time I get in trouble." Angel looked at her with such sadness. He loved her so much and felt sad that he had to hurt her yet again. It all reminded him of what Xander had said to him at the hospital when Buffy had cured him.

"Come on, just do it. Don't make me hit you again." She said to him laughingly. "I have to tell you that when you bite me its more than pain that I feel. It's like we are connected, like I can feel you become a part of me and I become part of you. And I hope I dont regret saying this but...itgets me a kinda hot."

He shifted from side to side; if he could blush, he would be right now but then he felt that part of him now that was Angelus start to take control. He felt atingling sensation startto warm him in all the right places as he stared into Buffy lust filled eyes.

She began to sensually run her hands all over his chest, andbrought his head down to kiss him. She continued to move her hands all over his body feeling the curves of his muscles and savoring the taste of his mouth. He could feel his blood rushing all through his body now. Just her kisses alone were enough to make him hot all over but her caresses were driving him crazy. He wanted to take her back into his old apartment and make love to her in all the ways he had dreamed of over the past few years.. He was in heaven with her tongue dancing in his mouth and her hands wandering around his body.

He could feel the demon inside of him dying to break free and take hold of the situation. He wanted a taste and soon he wouldn't be able to stop it. He needed a release and he needed it now. He grasped her tighter causing her to moan at the touch and he almost lost control at that moment.

She broke away and bared her neck to him once again. He let his demon face surface pulling her closer again and began to lick at the nape of her neck. He could smell her blood just below the surface of her skin mixed in with the vanilla perfume she loved to wear. She let out a soft moan as he again licked her neck and he could hold back no longer, he then slowly he sank his fangs into her tender flesh feeling the warm sensation of her blood rolling over his tongue and down his throat. He drank only a small amount but it was better then he ever remembered. He could hear her heart beating faster and she ground her body into him. He licked at the wound then changed back into his human face and captured her lips once again. They both closed their eyes and kissed passionately, until the world went black.