Angel struggled down the corridor, feeling guilty about having to put practically his entire weight on his exhausted son. Reaching the top of the stairs, Angel leaned against the railings to give Connor a break. Looking down over the lobby, he was surprised to see Oz chatting to the group but was relieved to see everyone was ok.

He automatically found himself searching the gang for Buffy. His eyes locked on her talking to Giles and looking thoroughly confused. Angel felt the relief wash over him and he sighed.

Just seeing her there rid him of any thoughts of giving up. He turned to look at his son and felt a sudden surge of love. How had he ever felt like he couldn't care when he had so much to live for?

He swallowed hard, wincing from the pain that coursed through his entire body. He was relieved that one of the perks of being a vampire was that he'd heal quickly. That was probably the only reason he was still alive in the first place.

Angel returned his gaze to Buffy. Giles had walked away and she was leaning on the counter, looking scared. Connor sauntered over and smiled.

"Ready to tackle the stairs?"

He smiled back, slinging his arm around his son's shoulders and shifting his weight.

"Thanks."

Connor grinned, supporting him as they shuffled away from the railing.

"Hey, what are son's for?"

Angel couldn't find the words to reply. Reaching the first step, he looked down and saw Buffy charging towards the stairs. Halfway up, she saw him and stopped dead in tracks.

"Angel? Oh my god, are you alright?"

She rushed up to meet them, helping shoulder his weight with Connor who gave her a smile in greeting, understanding the look she gave his father.

"I'll be fine. Really, Buffy, I will. I'm just glad that you're ok."

She helped them down the stairs slowly.

"Well, I told you I wasn't going anywhere."

Reaching the lobby, Willow rushed forward to help him on to the sofa, opening up the first aid kit again with a concerned gaze.

"What happened, Angel?"

He shrugged and instantly regretted it as a stabbing pain shot through his shoulder.

"I was upstairs and well, I guess the ceiling caved in."

Willow helped remove Angel's shirt, noticing the flush that crept across Buffy's cheeks. She grinned to herself, hopeful that she might be getting some vicarious smoochies after all.

Giles wandered over, his nose stuffed in a book. He did a double take seeing the state of Angel.

"Oh dear. Are you ok?"

He nodded, wincing as Willow bandaged his chest with Connor looking on in concern. Buffy moved away, pulling Giles with her.

"Do I tell him?"

Giles frowned.

"I'm sorry, what are you talking about?"

"Do I tell Angel about the prophecy? I mean, I know he's read it, but do you think he realises what it means?"

Giles sighed, lowering the book in front of him.

"Personally, I would tell him, but to be honest Buffy, this is up to you."

She sighed.

"You're right. Well, it's not like he hasn't died before or anything."

Seeing the look on Giles's face, she shrugged.

"Just trying to make with the funny here, lighten the mood. Feel free to join in anytime."

He just shook his head and wandered back in to the office. Buffy turned around to face the others. Willow was packing up the first aid kit with help from Connor (who blush profusely when their hands skimmed each others), Illyria was stood at the door staring up at the sky, Xander and Oz were sat on the steps flicking through books, and Spike was hiding just outside the back door, smoking and attempting to stay out of the light. Angel was lying on the sofa, gingerly inspecting a large bandage on his chest.

Buffy crossed over to him and when he looked up at her, his eyes lit up. She smiled sadly and sat down beside him.

"So that ceiling got you pretty good, huh?"

He laughed, ignoring the pain it caused.

"Guess the hotel's just a little pissed at me for leaving it alone so long."

She smiled, though the fact that she was wringing her hands in her lap gave away her nerves. Angel laid a cool hand over them to still her and looked Buffy straight in the eye. Despite the pain he was in, all she could see was concern for her.

"What is it?"

She sighed heavily, her heart in her mouth as she spoke.

"The prophecy, the one Wesley wrote…"

She couldn't do it, she couldn't tell the man she loved that he was going to die. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"It's something bad, isn't it? What's Giles's big old brain figured out now?"

Buffy felt the tears prick her eyes.

"The final two lines…"

The tears choked her and she turned away, embarrassed and scared. She heard Angel reciting it under his breath and there was a long pause. She turned back and found that he was staring at her, his eyes full of unspoken longing. He sighed.

"I guess Giles decided that I'm the cursed one then. So, this is really going to be the final battle for me. I'm going to die."

His gaze followed his son, walking back behind the counter with Willow, deep in conversation. He smiled to himself.

"Someone should really tell Connor that Willow's a lesbian."

Buffy groaned.

"Don't do that, Angel, don't try and avoid this. Though you're not wrong about Connor. He's sure got the puppy love. But we need to talk about the prophecy, about what it says is going to happen. "

He shook his head.

"No, we really don't."

She glared at him but he just smiled, brushing a loose blonde tendril behind her ear and sending shots of electricity through her whole body. When she opened her mouth to speak, Buffy found her voice was quiet and thick with fear.

"I can't watch you die. I can't let that happen again. If nothing else, that boy needs his father. I need…"

Her eyes locked with his and she knew she didn't need to finish her sentence. He already knew how she felt. He always knew.

Smiling sadly, Angel shrugged.

"Talking about this won't change the prophecy and I don't like seeing you upset about it. There's always a thousand ways to read stuff like this. Granted, right now, it's not looking too good for me, but how many cursed demons do you think the Senior Partners will have? I sometimes find it hard to believe but hope is a good and powerful thing."

She cupped his face in her hand, her lower lip trembling as she fought back the tears.

"Hope won't save your life, Angel."

He smiled, laying his own hand over hers and moving it down so he could kiss her palm. She smiled back, a bittersweet smile that broke his heart a little.

"No, but you might. And so might any one of the others. We don't know what's going to happen. Our entire lives are a mystery we have to figure out for ourselves. All the prophecies in the world can't make me leave you like that."

She let her fingers interlace with his, staring at their hands intertwined and loving the comforting familiarity.

"But you already have, Angel, and that's what scares me. I sent you to Hell before remember? And then you walked away from me to come here. Not to mention the fact that if it wasn't for Cordelia, you'd be dead right now anyway."

She paused and frowned.

"Now, that's a sentence I never expected to say. By the way, how is Cordelia now a higher being? How's that work?"

Angel felt a pang of guilt as he remembered her.

"She changed a lot when she got out here, Buffy. She grew up to be a truly amazing woman. What with the visions and her courage, she became a Champion and I guess the Powers saw that."

Buffy looked at him with a hopeful smile.

"And you're sure she can't help us in this next big battle?"

He shook his head.

"She said she couldn't. We're on our own in this. But it doesn't matter. We've been through worse."

Buffy found that hard to believe but nodded in agreement anyway. He squeezed her hand.

"Look Buffy, whatever's coming, I just want you to know…"

He tailed off and she waited, knowing this was not a time to interrupt.

"I just want to say that even with everything that's happened in the last few years, I never stopped loving you. I never will. You're my girl. Always."

Her heart pounding in her chest, Buffy practically leapt into his arms, suddenly asking herself why she ever let him go.

"I love you too, Angel, and I always will."

She felt him kiss her on the crown of her head and she felt safe. Eventually, she pulled away a little, looking up in to those deep dark eyes. He offered her a slight smile.

"Even though you have a boyfriend?"

His words stung, and she couldn't keep the venom from the reply she fired back.

"And even though you have a girlfriend?"

He winced and she was glad. But within seconds she felt guilty about it. He ventured an apology first.

"I was out of line there, Buffy, I'm sorry."

"I know, me too."

Angel stared off in to space for a moment, before his eyes flicked back to the only woman in over two hundred years that had ever made him truly happy.

"Mind you, on the phone earlier, I think Nina and I may have broken up…"

Buffy couldn't help but grin.

"Don't worry, I haven't even told Immy that I'm here. And with his possessive streak and me travelling halfway round the world to save you of all people, I doubt that's still on the table either."

Angel was staring at her with an incredulous expression.

"Immy? You call him Immy?"

He laughed heartily and it was like music to her ears, even if it was a little at her expense.

"Well, you try dating someone called The Immortal and see how you deal with it!"

Angel just grinned at her.

"Just wait till Spike hears about this!"

He collapsed in to a fit of not-so-manly giggles before it was rapidly replaced by uncontrollable coughing. Not sure what to do, Buffy gingerly patted his back, concern etched on her face. After a couple more seconds of the hacking cough, it began to subside and Angel turned to her with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about that."

"Hey, it's fine. As long as you're fine, that is."

He nodded and leaned forward to kiss her forehead, only pulling back a little way so their noses were almost touching. She felt her heart begin to pound again.

"Well, I'm with you so of course I'm fine."

"You're really cheesey, do you know that?"

He smiled.

"Yeah, just realised."

He didn't move away and neither did she.

"Angel?"

"Yeah."

"Whatever happens, I don't want to lose you again."

Her breath was warm on his cheek as he leaned in even closer.

"Just as well, because I'm not going anywhere."

And just as their lips were finally about to meet, a blood curdling scream echoed through the lobby.

Cursing the timing, Buffy spun round to see an unfamiliar woman stood in the doorway with Illyria lying in a crumpled heap at her feet. Blood dripped from the knife by the stranger's side and she was pointing a gun right at them.

The woman smiled bitterly, a look in her eye that spelt revenge.

"Hello Angel."