This little vignette is set after the events in Willow's Promise. If you haven't read it (Uh...why haven't you read it? LOL) here are the salient points: Tara and Angel were found in an parallel universe and brought into our world by some fancy portal opening by Willow and portal jumping by Buffy. Xander and Dawn are exploring their newly discovered feelings for each other and Giles has married Olivia, who showed up on the doorstep holding a baby...Giles' son. Oh yeah...Angel is human. You wanna know the whole story – go – read – Willow's Promise.

Now...a slice of Scooby life.

Second Chances

Watching her as she stood looking in the mirror, he wondered what she was thinking. She looked beautiful, more beautiful every day since their reunion. He smiled and slipped in behind her, strong arms encircling her waist as their eyes met in the glass.

"Penny for your thoughts," he whispered.

"It's been over a year," she smiled.

"Fourteen months, two weeks, three days, eight hours and twenty-three minutes," he answered, "not that I'm keeping track or anything." He grinned as her smile broadened and she laughed.

He loved to hear her laugh. She did it a lot more often now than he'd ever remembered her doing it before. Of course, he did too. They both had a lot more reasons to laugh these days. Life had, for once, gone their way. It was sweeter than he'd ever imagined it could be.

She turned in his arms and tilted her head up. He needed no other invitation as he lowered his head to hers and captured her lips in a sweet, gentle kiss. He felt his heart beat faster as she responded and his arms tightened around her in reflex. When they broke apart, she was flushed and smiling.

"Were you looking for me for a reason?" she asked.

"Do I need one?"

"No."

"Good," he grinned, "but as it happens, lunch is ready and I thought you might be hungry."

"Starving," she answered as she disentangled herself from his arms but captured one of his hands, dragging him to the door.

Given that he was at least seven inches taller and close to a hundred pounds heavier, he allowed her to drag him, grinning like a lovesick school boy the whole time.

The kitchen was busy, noisy and full of people. In the past, he'd hated that kind of confusion, now he looked around and saw his friends...his family...and smiled. Noah was in his high chair banging a spoon demanding to be fed as his father smiled indulgently, setting a bowl in front of the boy who responded by banging the spoon into the bowl and sending soup flying across the tray. The toddler giggled and started picking up noodles off the tray and stuffing them into his mouth.

His mother let out an exaggerated sigh of exasperation. "Really, Rupert, you know he's going to do that, why do you put the bowl in front of him?"

Rupert smiled at his wife. "Because I know he's going to do that and it makes him giggle."

Xander laughed. "You've really changed Giles," he said. "If someone told me a year ago you'd be indulging a kid...YOUR kid...in any kind of misbehavior, I'd have thought they lost their minds."

Giles just chuckled and helped clean up his son before settling down to actually feed the boy.

Tara walked into the kitchen and was greeted with smiles and hellos. Tara looked great – she'd filled back out, he face losing its gauntness that a year living in hell had caused. She was smiling and the transformation was amazing. Gone were the haunted look and dark circles, replaced by shining blue eyes and a smile that broadened as she spotted Willow standing at the sink. Willow turned as she heard Tara's name being called out and smiled broadly at her soul mate. He didn't think Tara could look more beautiful and then she returned Willow's smile. He shook his head – he'd never known two people more in love and suited for one another.

She wrapped an arm around his waist and handed him a bowl of the homemade soup that had been simmering on the stove.

"Penny for your thoughts," she said, eyes bright and a mischievous smile on her face.

He took the soup and smiled back at her. "Nothing that expensive," he said, "just considering how lucky I am." He kissed her temple and slipped an arm around her waist, setting the bowl down so he could encircle her completely in his arms. "Not many people get a second chance at life and...I actually had this whole thing planned out but..." he let her go and dropped to one knee in front of her, pulling a small box from his pocket and opening it, displaying it in front of her. Inside was a claddagh, a perfect emerald shining in its center.

"Buffy, I never thought I'd get this chance...to give you my heart and actually be able to fulfill the promise of loving you forever. I've loved you from the moment I first saw you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you..." he never finished the sentence as he fought to maintain his balance when she launched herself at him and he found his arms full of the pretty little blonde that held his heart and soul

"Yes, Angel," she whispered in his ear, hugging him tightly.

In that moment, despite the laughter and calls of congratulations, Angel didn't hear a word beyond her "yes".