Author's Notes: Here it is guys, the epilogue for Dark Waltz. It will not be as long as the Pretty in Black one so I'm gonna keep it short and sweet. This is taken from Buffy's point of view. Enjoy!

Epilogue

He had been gone for almost six months, and the mourning, up until now, had not been easy to manage. But somehow, I learned how to adapt with the motions, even when the bite wounds had been healed and the effects of the blood vanishing entirely. A few nights ago, I ended up slaying again for the first time since his death. The sky then was moonless, the air cold. It was supposed to be a normal hunt for the Chosen One.

Was I taken by surprise. Out of nowhere, he had returned. When I found him being circled by a group of vampires in the middle of the Crestwood cemetery, he was defenseless and frightened. The vampires dusted without a blink of an eye, I approached him with hesitation; so afraid that he was nothing more than a mirage; an illusion that my head had conjured up. On that night, he cowered against the nearest mausoleum, and I knew immediately that he wasn't the vampire that I had fallen in love with. The vampire that had been killed by my own hands no longer existed.

To me, it was a blessing that had finally been answered.

The man I loved had been reborn, though no one had mentioned it to me, not even the Powers That Be. When I met his eyes, I was elated, but I was also anxious. When we were studying each other, I kept an ounce of hope that he would remember me. I also remembered that he was naked, so I had to wrap my leather jacket around his body in order to protect him from the cold and the threat of hypothermia.

When I touched his right shoulder, his skin was pink and warm, and it sent tingles coursing through me. "Come on. I'll take you to my place to warm up," I offered gently. "Who are you?" he wanted to know, and a curious look flitted his angelic face.

"You don't remember me?"

"I…should I remember you?" he countered, his chocolate eyes puzzled.

I tried not to let the disappointment show in my expression. "Let's just say I'm a friend."

"Maybe I don't want a friend," he snorted.

I grinned, admiring his response. "I didn't say I was yours."

And the rest was history.

The funny thing is, after that night, he ended up not being my friend at all. He ended up becoming something that was much more important in my life.

Shifting my eyes, I studied the sleeping body next to me, covered underneath the blankets that were mine as he let out a soft snore. I grinned as my hand reached out to caress his warm cheek, taking my time to absorb the sight of him before letting a finger trace the curve of his lips.

I still don't know how he got here, or why he was here, alive and breathing. All that mattered to me now was that he was given a second chance. A second chance to live life. This time without fear of the sun, or without bringing the threat of harming those that I was destined to protect.

And quickly, quietly, I kissed Angelus directly on his soft mouth, and in the last second, he took me by utter surprise. "I love you," he whispered sleepily. "I love you too," I proudly declared.

And for the rest of the early rays of dawn, we held each other as tightly as possible, never wanting to let go. I smiled in contentment.

I guess I got my happy ending after all.

Fin.