Wow :( I can't believe that I am actually sad to see my story come to an end. For those of you who have been following my writing you might know that this was my second baby ever in fanfiction. It means a lot that you guys have given me your time and gave me your very valuable thoughts. I am bummed but I am happy to begin creating some new bangel for all of us. Hope you continue to read my stuff and as promised... my next Bangel smut is up.

Together they are Strong, Apart the are Weak (one shot) picking up after The Girl in Question.

Okay... without further adieu... the epilogue... Enjoy!

Chapter 22- Epilogue

Onto the red carpet Buffy and Angel went as they made their appearance hand in hand elegantly dressed… Buffy with a plum purple chiffon dress that went all the way down to her toes; strappy design from the top that hugged her growing breasts perfectly and then draped over her cute baby bump sophisticatedly. Angel would never be upstaged by any other man since his tailor made suit fit him like he'd been born in it. The perfect couple waved and smiled to all their acquaintances as they made their way to the entrance of Belvedere Hall.

In a table set up for twelve they arrived to see Willow and Riley already seated chitchatting away with Cordelia and Lindsey.

"Hey guys…" Buffy called as they approached. Half the fun of these events was that they got see their friends when normal everyday life events didn't permit it.

"Hey there…" Linds and Cordy called standing up to greet them affectionately.

"Buffy!" Willow called excitedly the moment she heard her voice, "So glad you could make it…" she said as she waited for her to finish greeting Cordelia and her beau.

"Well you didn't quite give me a choice there did you…?" she teased as they took each other in an loving embrace taking a seat next to each other to catch up on their lives a bit, being that they were both too busy to socialize these days.

It seemed that ever since things got serious between Will and Riley, he'd been making all the proper introductions to the family and since they were also both Physics majors… they were both strapped to books as Graduation was just around the corner.

"Angel, my brother…" Riley said to him, taking him in a brotherly embrace.

"Riley…" Angel returned, "Lindsey…" he had said as he acknowledged them both with sturdy handshakes and hugs, "So big shindig going on…"

"Yeah…" Riley grinned abnormally bright, "It means a lot that you're here…"

"O-kay…" Angel returned as he assessed his friend when Lindsey asked if they should go grab some drinks. He nodded to his friend excusing them from the crowd, following Linds as he tried to process why Riley was overly cheery.

"So is it me…" Linds began, "or is Riley acting weirder than usual…?"

"No…" Angel nodded, "I picked up on that too…" they both shrugged with hearty chuckles. At least they were on the same page and not one thinking they were picking up something where there wasn't anything.

Going back to their table with drinks on hand for their women, they noticed the rest of their group had arrived. To everyone's surprise… Xander had shown up with non-other than Angel's own secretary, Anya. Angel knew he'd seen a spark between the two when he'd come by the office, but he'd never considered them actually dating… and so seriously since this was sort of an intimate event.

Dawn was apparently just finishing introducing Connor Cameron, her boyfriend, who was son of the British Prime Minister. Rumor had it that her making contacts as Buffy's sister made her a socialite… she'd been to many functions, where it appeared as that is how they met and had quickly hit it off. He felt oddly over protective… he could have sworn that just yesterday she'd talked about how love didn't make sense and how much she wanted to veer off from that direction.

Angel was about to question Dawn, as the parental figure he felt he was to her, when Faith walked in with Big Time Politician Wood by her side. It seemed to be the night for surprises and now starring into Riley's expectant eyes… he couldn't help but think that something was definitely up his sleeve tonight… which he couldn't fathom seeing as, he thought, that they told each other everything. If it wasn't because this was a very public event… he would have thought that Riley would be proposing.

/

Evening filled with socializing, cocktails, and mingling… they all celebrated Riley's success. Not long after most people had arrived; the Director of the Physics Department at the University had taken the stage to welcome the guests that had attended the dinner.

It had been a great night as Riley was recognized for discovering a new formula, from where he'd finally defined his major as a physicist of computer engineer. Everyone had been over the moon over his accomplishment because of the grant he'd acquired for his work and tonight had been the reason to celebrate…

/

Five years later…

Buffy had been working diligently since day number one that she'd taken the headmaster position of O'Donnell Arts Institute. Buffy hadn't wanted to give her parents any reason to come looking for any more money so she'd used her husband's last name instead figuring that he had been the one to save the school in the first place. It had been challenge to get it up to the status that she had acquired considering that the school had lost its validity because of its lack of financial funds.

Four years though and she'd done it. She had brought the school back up to code in appearance replacing mirrors, floors, and decorations. Had applied for accreditation to be a higher level education of the arts, which she had accomplished, not easily… but she had. Fred and Wesley had taken her growing Dance Company as part of the offers made by the Dance Association giving it that distinguishing it had needed. It had taken everything she had to give and more and she had loved it more than could be understood.

In fact, in the middle of a staff meeting her water had broken a merely four years ago and her son would have been born in the school had Angel not showed up to take her to lunch that day. It had been a hell of a drive to the hospital to say the least…

Now she could look back and laugh about it because of the panicked look on Angel's face as she tried not to scream too loud from the contractions. She still remembered how they'd arrived to the hospital rushing through the doors with a medical team already waiting for her at the door… the nurses had been half undressing her as they'd set her on the rolling bed were she went straight to delivery where an hour later… Liam Angelus O'Donnell, III, had been born. It had been the quickest and yet most unexpected delivery that they had all experienced but it had all worked out well.

All of their family and friends had come to see the baby and the sight of the new O'Donnell member had spurred something in Riley because that day… he had gotten down on one knee and had proposed out of knowhere. Willow had been waiting for him to pop the question for months and it seemed that the miracle of new life had been just the push he'd wanted… to do what he needed to get done.

Buffy traced her finger over the frame of the picture of the three of them on her desk as she took in the time after reminiscing in such beautiful memories. It had been a hell of some great five years by the side of the two men in her life she loved more than the first day they'd come into it. She had just began putting her files away to leave when she heard the door of her office open… tiny steps run her way with a loud mommy, mommy… as little hands curled around her belly…

"Aden!" Buffy exclaimed surprised, "what are you…?" Aden had been the weirdest nickname they had come up with. It had all started with them calling him A. D. for Angel Donnell, they had somehow cut off the 'O.' But then one day when she was trailing after her little devil of a son after he'd made a mess… she had yelled at him Aden, a name to which he answered to of all odds, and that was that. Aden had stuck as the way they referred to Liam III.

"Sorry sweet love…" Angel came through the door, dressed in a suit saying, "he got away from me?"

Buffy smiled at him then down at her son, picking him up to cradle him at her hip… "What have I told you about running off like that mister…" Buffy playfully glared.

"Nowt to dwo wit…" the four year old pouted from under the innocent features that showed his clear distinction to his father, except for his eyes that were entirely his mother's.

"Okay…" Buffy pecked his nose as she pointed to her cheek, "Kiss?"

Aden smiled happily and pressed a loud sounding kiss to her cheek… Buffy giggled at her son as he squirmed to be put down. Angel stared with a love in his eyes at his little family that just completely swelled his heart from emotion.

"Where's my kiss…?" Angel purred.

Buffy arched an eyebrow teasingly as she replied, "Well come and get it…"

As their son ran around the office moving, grabbing, and exploring… Angel stalked his way to his wife, taking her beautiful form into his arms… giving her a thorough toe curling, heart raising, skin crawling kind of a kiss…

It had been the Eww! yelled by their son that had made them pull apart to laugh at him. So Angel placed a chaste kiss on her plump lips… then traveled down to her belly to kiss it twice cooing tenderly, "and hello to you too my sweets…"

Aden had ran to his mom as well, next to his father… placing both tiny hands on her round eight month belly as he called to it… "Hello Ren and Stimpy…"

Buffy and Angel burst into a fit of giggles at their son's ideas for names… he would change them every couple of days depending on which cartoon he'd watched that day… today it seemed it had been Ren and Stimpy. Last week it had been Donald and Daisy, and the week before that it had been Dora and Pedro.

"So…" Buffy asked Angel, "Cartoon Network…?"

Angel stood to glance at his wife as he confirmed with a nod and grin, "Yup… Cartoon Network…"

The toddler stared at his parents confused as they looked at him with love at the innocence of his actions that never failed to amuse them immensely.

"Ready to go…?" Angel finally asked.

"Yeah…" Buffy answered as she locked some files away grabbing her purse while reaching for her son's hand, "Let's go…"

As they got into the limo that Angel seemed to have requested today… Buffy began to consider the reason why her husband was overly dressed. I mean, sure… he always wore them for work but he had his work attire and his party attire. This… was his party suit which made her think she had either forgotten something or they were attending an event that she perhaps had forgotten about. They pulled up to their home soon enough and as Buffy stepped out of the limo, she wracked her brain to finding out what the hell she had forgotten.

She'd opened the door to find it oddly dark when suddenly a loud…

"Surprise!" being screamed, startled her half to death.

"Jesus Christ…" Buffy panted placing her hand over her chest as she tried to settle her heart.

"Happy Birthday Sweetheart…" Angel whispered in her ear hugging her from behind… as she recalled writing the same date over and over again at work and it hadn't spur a spark of recognition.

Today was in fact her birthday and she had completely forgotten about it. It should have been a dead giveaway since Angel had taken her breakfast in bed, sent her flowers to work, had taken her to lunch, AND had picked her up in a limo. He must have known though that she had forgotten her own birthday being that she'd acted like it was any other day.

"I knew you had forgotten…" Angel told her taking in her expression, "but the less you were aware the bigger the surprise was now… where you surprised?"

Buffy scoffed; "Like you have no idea…" she glared slightly. Sheesh! She could have peed on herself.

Aden pulled at her clothes to tell his mommy happy birthday as the rest of their friends quickly approached to congratulate her as well. Buffy was about to question Willow about her not calling to wish her a happy day when she took her in hug and said…

"Angel said not to mention it till tonight…" her friend answered practically reading her mind as she wished her a happy birthday.

"Uh huh…" Buffy frowned playfully, "and how do I know you're not lying…?"

Willow gasped, "I would never…" she put her hands on her hips, "have I ever forgotten your birthday…"

"No…" Buffy returned with a smile… as the rest of their family and friends approached to congratulate her on her day.

Even with being tired after a long day at work, she had gone upstairs to put on the dress that Angel had purchased for her as part of her day's gift. Her son had come strolling in with a homemade card as Angel had bought her a diamond tennis bracelet and matching necklace for the evening.

As the group gathered around Buffy for her to make a wish before blowing out the candles on her cake… she couldn't help but look around her at the wonderful life she had. It had felt like everything had gone in slow motion… as she gazed at the faces of everyone around.

Riley and Willow had gotten married a year after Aden had been born and soon after that they'd had Riley Anne Finn who was staring happily at her while they sang to her in her father's arms. Cordelia and Lindsey were very much in love with each other but being that they were both still skeptical on the marriage issue… they had moved in, had shared accounts, and could practically be considered married but they hadn't legalized that.

Faith and Wood had had a rushed wedding that the media had taken negatively since Wood was running for Senator, but even then the polls showed he was doing very well. Buffy had no idea how they worked but it seemed to work for them. Xander and Anya had gotten married barely about a year ago and since she was more of a family member now, Angel had promoted her to Executive Assistant in the company and hired a new secretary instead.

Dawn was missing from the group as Connor and her had still continued steady in their relationship and he had taken her away on vacation at one of his family's property's in Britain. And then she looked at the faces of her more than radiating in-laws… they had Aden propped on a chair as he cheered his mommy on to blowing out the candles as Angel tangled his muscular arms around her whispering sweet sentiments in her ear as he placed a discreet kiss by her cheek and neck…

"Happy Birthday My Love…" Angel said softly to her side.

Buffy grinned up at all of them as she took a deep breath and blew out the candles. They all clapped as the maid took the cake back to begin serving it and Angel pulled his happily glowing preganat wife against him, taking her lips with his as he sensually and slowly gave her one the many heated kissed she'd get tonight. He had plenty left for the intimate space of their bedroom after his parents were to take Aden for the night.

Aden covered his eyes with both hands as the rest of the crowd just clapped and cheered. Love was something to be celebrated and Angel couldn't be any more grateful with life than he was right now…

He had a gorgeous 4 year old son that tested his patience every single day… he had the most amazing woman as a wife by his side, fate couldn't have given him a better partner for life, and then his true surprise to be expected soon in his wife's belly. Twins… a boy and a girl apparently… they had already agreed to name their daughter Isabella Rose after his mom and her grandmother and their son Leon Anthony, at least keeping the same initials of the O'Donnell men.

And just like that…

It felt like all the elements in the world had existed, just to bring them together, it was epic… it was fate… it had been love at first sight…

~The End~