1(I did some correcting because I didn't like the last ending. I was really un-happy with it.)

Disclaimer: Okay, okay, I don't own 'em! I wish I did. Oh well, they're still Joss Whedon's, but, I'm telling you, if he ever decides he doesn't want them anymore, (yeah, right...) I got first dibs! (& I may make up some characters as I go, I dunno yet.)

Pairings: I believe I said Buffy/Angel ( a 'lil bit of Angel/Nina in the beginning: not too much, I promise!) Faith/Robin, Willow/Tara Oh, yes, and Spike is still in love with Buffy, as we know, but he may get involved with Nina. (opinions?) Etc etc...

Distribution: You can take it, just ask, and tell me where it's going. Oh! & don't forget about giving me credit! I love credit. (Hehe.)

Reviews: I need reviews! In order for me to keep my story up, I gotta have my feedback! I'm addicted! (Good or bad, I'm prepared!)

Warnings: I'm thinking that I rated this M, but at the moment I'm not sure. If it's not rated M I'll change it, it's only for safety because there may be slight nudity, we all know that B & A, and F & R cannot control their urges...& then there's Faith's crude mouth (hah) Plus, you gotta watch out, I'm a really horrible speller! I type fast and don't happen to look back. (Sorry!)

(Here we go...)

She ran with slayer stamina, leaving her suit case back at the hotel. She had to get away, she couldn't do it. She couldn't stand there and watch him kiss her. And who knew Cordy had died? She sure didn't. She didn't understand. How could he send her that letter about not being able to move on if he had a girl friend? One that he had obviously had taken into his bedroom, she could tell that too.

She ran seventeen blocks to the 'Los Angeles Inn'. Then, she lugged herself up to the elegant room, and threw herself on to the bed and sighed.

What was wrong with her? She shouldn't have just assumed he was single.

Then, she spied the phone on the bedside table and dialed the Hyperion's number.

It rang three times before someone picked up.

"Hello, Angel Investigations, we help the helpless, how may we help you?"

She swore she could hear Spike yell, "We're changing the name!"

"Um, is Angel there?"

"No, he's out on some personal business right now, I'm Nina, is there anything else you might need?"

Personal business. Hah. He was probably out looking for her.

"Can I speak to Spike?"

"Sure, can I ask who's calling?"

"An old friend."

She heard a click, and then some movement.

"Hello? Pet, is that you?"

"Spike, yeah, How did you know? And don't tell.. Uh... Nina."

"Because you ran out of here quick, Pet. He told Nina you were someone important and he needed to talk to you, and then ran after you. We can smell you, he'll find you, Buffy."

"I'm in a hotel."

"He'll still find you."

"I know."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I just... Spike, I felt like I was going to die," she mumbled.

"Buffy, listen to him, if he finds you, listen."

"What if I don't want to?"

"Buffy..." he warned, still being serious. "He wants you, just as much as I do. Listen to him."

Spike stayed silent for a moment before adding, "I can't believe I'm saying this..."

"Spike, thank you. I'll give you my hotel number."

"Okay," he said.

No more than three minutes had passed after she hung up was there a knock on the door. Her heart started beating faster, but, she made no noise, and didn't move from the bed. After a few seconds, the knocking started again.

Buffy stood up, and went over to the door. She looked through the looking hole in the door, and saw him.

Angel.

"Buffy, I know you're in there."

"Angel, I really don't even want to see you right now." The scene of him and Nina flashed in to her head and the dry tears in her eyes became wet again.

"Buffy, please, just let me explain this to you."

Buffy hesitated before opening the door and wiping her eyes. The sight before her was kind of funny. Angel was soaking wet, it had started pouring the second she had gotten into the hotel, so she had been lucky. She was dry.

She fought back some tears, and a laugh before moving aside to let him in.

"Uh, Buffy..." He paused, gesturing for her to invite him in.

"I don't live here." She said, annoyed with him.

"For the night you do."

Buffy sighed.

"Come in..." she managed, and he stepped through the door way.

He stepped past her and moved to stand over to the side as she shut the door and went over to the bathroom and grabbed a towel. She wouldn't look at him. No. She handed him the towel and he put his wet coat on the line over the bathtub.

After drying his head, and arms and taking off his muddy shoes, he walked over to the bed and sat next to Buffy.

Buffy was hesitant. She didn't really want to be sitting next to him right now. She didn't even want to look at him right now. Every time she did, the horrendous scene flashed before her eyes.

"Angel–"

"Buffy, I–"

"No, Angel, just listen to me for a minute. I..." She trailed off, not knowing how to say it.

"I don't understand. I mean, you send me a letter saying how you can't move on, about how I'll always be your soul mate and about how much you love me when really," she paused again, frowning. "You're down here in L.A doing some werewolf girl named Nina."

"That's not how it is."

"Oh, save it. I know she's been in your bed. I can tell. Remember, in the letter how you said our connection wasn't faltered? Yours is. Mine isn't. Let me explain that theory. I can tell. In Sunnydale, I could almost smell a different smell on you. I could tell you were dating someone. Your connection is faltered because, damn it Angel! I was standing there for ten minutes watching you two kiss and grope, and you didn't even acknowledge my presence!"

He looked at her, bewildered. If he could blush, he would've.

"I'm sorry, I thought I felt you, but, I didn't think that you would be in Los Angeles, so I ignored it!" He paused to look at her, and the hurt in his eyes became anger. "What! Have you finally come to say, 'Oh, I'm baked, come and eat– be with me?"

"Get out." Buffy said simply.

Her arms were crossed. She was pissed.

"Buffy..."

"How dare you even think you can talk to me like that after you were off kissing another girl? You're in my hotel room, Angel. I've never seen this side of you, and I don't want to see it, so if you're going to keep it up, I suggest you get out now."

Angel looked at her in astonishment.

"Buffy, I was... I'm sorry."

"I'll bet you are," she replied bitterly.

"Buffy, I do love you. I didn't give up on you, I just didn't want to give up on Nina unless you were sure. She was one of my cases at Wolfram and Hart. A werewolf bit her, and turned her, and then we had to show her how to live with it. When she accepted it, Fred took her back home to get some things so she could stay in a cage at the firm until after full moon, and some group of cannibals caught her. Knocked out Fred because they wanted to eat a werewolf. Then, they wrapped her up, chained her down to a platter and waited for full moon. When we got there, we were unchaining her when she changed. She attacked the man who sold her away from Wolfram and Hart, and bit him. I'll bet you they ate him because we weren't going to let them have Nina back. She was an innocent. She's also a really good person. I'm not going to hurt her like I hurt you." Angel smiled at her.

"Oh."she said.

"Buffy, you need to remember the only reason I fight evil, and didn't kill myself again when I realized I couldn't be with you because we were putting everyone in danger is because of you. I would've killed myself when you died if it wasn't for Cordelia."

"Cordelia!" Buffy's jaw dropped and the anger she had finally let go came back.

"Not like that!" He cried, at her surprised, angry, disgusted look. "She convinced me that you would want me to keep fighting, to keep going for you."

"She was right, surprisingly."

"I'm glad. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you. I would probably be in some alley feeding off of rats, or I would've stayed up to watch the sunrise. Buffy, I saw you get called. I saw the day Merrick walked up to you and told you were a slayer. I remember when you told all of your friends to call you. And you had that lolly-pop. God, you were so cute. I think I fell in love with you right that minute. Right when I saw you. And then, I got to see you stake your first vampire, you were wearing that orange coat... and then, I got to listen to your parents fighting... and you... cry yourself to sleep..."

Buffy sniffled but still refused to look at him. She didn't want to and she wasn't going to no matter what he said. There was nothing he could say, or so she thought.

"Look, Nina and I... we were dating when I was in charge of Wolfram and Hart. I kept dating her, and yeah, we've had sex, but, I'm still me. I didn't lose my soul. You're the only one who can bring true happiness, and you know it. We've had sex," he said again, and Buffy winced. "But, we've never... made love. You and I, we've made love."

She finally looked at him. Buffy looked up at him for the whole time he'd been there. He had that sparkle of love in his eyes, and he leaned forward and kissed her. It took a few seconds to react to the kiss. At first she responded by letting his tongue into her mouth. Then, she broke off the kiss and glared at him.

"If it were that easy, I'd be some prostitute on a street corner or something someone would compare to a piece of cake!" Buffy fumed at him.

He looked at her.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm doing... Buffy, I do love you, and if you want to be with me, I'll break up with Nina right now."

Buffy looked at him again.

"You never used to be this cold hearted towards women."

"I only want you, Beloved."

Buffy smiled at him, "I guess I am equivalent to a piece of cake."

"Never." Then, he kissed her again. This time she didn't pull away.

She chuckled into the kiss, and accepted it, and didn't pull back this time until she realized their hands had been feeling each other everywhere, and Angel's soul was endangered again. They were endangering everyone again.

"Angel, stop. Damn it, your soul."

"No, while Willow was here, she... well, she did it as a birthday present for you. And a present for me. My soul is permanent, Buffy."

Buffy's eyes widened.

"Wha... why didn't you..." she didn't know what to say. "What did Willow get in return?"

"Um, tears of happiness from me, and... um... a promise. Two actually."

"What were they?"

"The first one was to take care of you and love you and never hurt you again. The second one was to talk to my friend... he's a sorcerer, to bring back... I believe her name was Tara."

"Tara? You're going to bring back Tara? How is it possible? I mean– I'm happy, it's just that when Wil went all psycho Witch, she couldn't even bring back Tara and she was really powerful."

"Well, he can actually talk to the dead, and ask Tara if she wants to come back. She knows Willow's been having a hard time, even with– Kennedy is it?– by her side. If she wants to– you can only do it with the soul's permission– he'll re-make her body, and re-incarnate her."

"Oh my god, wow. But, they never found her body. Sunnydale is now a big crater."

"I know, we'll deal."

Silence.

"Angel?"

"What is it?"

"Will you just hold me?" She blinked at the words that had just come out of her mouth... the exact ones she had said to Spike all those nights ago.

"Always," he said, getting up to turn off the light, he came back, and got underneath the blankets with her, and held her, and they fell asleep in each others arms.

(I corrected it, it was really bothering me, hehe. I hope you liked the ending better!)

-Rach

yo rach im sorry 4 the punchi nose