Epilogue

By: BellsConlon

Summary: Elena roadtrips to California at the urging of Alaric, who puts her in contact with Buffy Summers, another girl loved and lost by a vampire. TVD/Buffy crossover.

Distribution: Just ask.

Notes: In canon with TVD through Season 2; takes place in the hiatus between S2 and S3. Season 3 speculation. Buffy, post S7 of the show and S8 of the comic. **Vampire lore in the two shows is a bit different: I did my best to make it seem as if both shows exist in the same universe, and therefore would have the same vampire lore and such. Just roll with it if anything seems off.

Author's Notes: Please excuse my absence- three days after I posted this, I got really sick. But I'm back, and with good news: I've decided to extend this into a 3 (or more) part, depending on length. I started writing and Buffy and Elena are magic together, I want to be their best friend. I hope you like it. Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome.

Buffy stood overlooking the cliff, watching as the two figured beneath her ran through the woods at superhuman speed. She shivered slightly, pulling her leather jacket tighter around her lithe frame- she had never been out this far East before; Virginia fall nights were certainly different from SoCo.

She felt two muscular arms wrap around her waist, pulling her back against a broad and well-built chest; she breathed in his familiar scent, a mix a what, she wasn't sure, but it comforted her none the less.

"Would you want that for me?" she asked, turning to look up into his warm brown eyes. She waved her hand to the valley below, where Stefan had brought down a deer and Elena stood idly by as he drank. "Or for yourself? Me as a vampire?"

Angel was silent for a moment, watching as Stefan finished and turned to Elena, drawing closer until the two were in an intimate embrace that was quickly escalading- he watched the two dash against a tree and turned he and Buffy around to give them some privacy.

"Well, our sex life would certainly benefit," he joked as Buffy turned in his arms, peeking under his arm, her eyes widening as she took in the scene of their two friends below.

"Damn," she whistled before shaking her head and focusing on the man in front of her. "Okay, so that's a definite perk of being supernatural. And than the whole bit where you all will stay incrediably sexy for like, ever."

"You'll always be incrediably sexy," Angel said, nuzzling his nose against hers before pressing a kiss to her lips. Buffy, in a feat of Slayer strength (who would every push him away when he was kissing her?!) placed her hands on his chest and pouted up at him.

"I'm serious," she said. "I mean, obviously a year ago baby vampire Elena so wasn't part of the plan, but she seems to be okay. And they're deliriously happy, since they get to spend eternity together now and everything. Wouldn't you want that?"

Angel paused thoughtfully before replying. He's had a lengthy discussion with Stefan about this when he and Buffy had first arrived, Buffy to handle some demonic activity up north in Cleveland and Angel to act as "sponsor" to Elena after Damon's debacle at the frat house. Angel understood Stefan's dilemma- he never wanted the vampiric life for Elena because she didn't want it for herself, but it was certainly better than the alternative of being permanently dead. Still, though, there was residual guilt Stefan was facing, one Angel could certainly relate to- was it selfish to be secretly thrilled that the one you love was now a vampire, given that it meant you'd be together forever?

"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it," Angel replied slowly. "To have you with me for the rest of my existence? Nothing would make me happier. But at what price- you hating yourself? Depriving you of a human life? So once I accepted that, it just became a matter of knowing life wouldn't go on without you."

"So you became suicidal," Buffy said flatly. "Excellent. This is why supernaturals shouldn't date mortals."

Angel shrugged. "I'm not going to apologize for it- I'm thrilled you're not aging now, but at what price? You're not aging because there's so much evil to fight and putting you in harm's way kills me."

"So turn me," Buffy challenged. She brushed her hair off her neck, watching Angel with pursed lips. "I dare you."

Angel took a step back, his face changing, vamping out before he rushed at Buffy. She didn't flinch as he ran his nose over her neck and pulse points, inhaling the scent of her blood, pumping even harder as her heart ran at rocket speed. He drew closer before placing a kiss on her neck, his face returning to normal and he whispered, his voice full, "Never."

Down below, Elena turned her head to look up at the cliff.

"Why does everyone forget we have crazy good hearing?" she asked Stefan, drawing circles on his bear chest.

"They were spying on us, we overheard their heart to heart," Stefan replied. "Guess it's even."

"Funny how uncannily similar Buffy and my's lives have been," Elena mused. "Minus the slayer bit."

"Oh yes, because being the dopplganger is such an easy day job," Stefan said. Elena playfully hit him over the shoulder before pressing a kiss to the same spot.

"My point," she said, sliding up his body, "is that we've both landed incrediably sweet, thoughtful, not to mention way hot"-she pressed a kiss to his lips- "who may have put us through all kinds of hell, but at the end of the day things seemed to have worked out. Because that is the power of love."

"Cliche," Stefan said with a laugh. "According to Jeremy, its all thanks to Buffy's 'scorned lover of vampires support group?'"

"Well, that too," Elena replied. "There's strength in numbers, as they say. Or strength in a fantastic bitch session."

"I don't even want to know," Stefan replied, flipping the pair over. "Less talking."

"Less talking," Elena agreed.

Abrupt ending, I'm so sorry- I don't know, to me there was no proper way to end this, it just seemed fitting that things resolved in a sweet, couple-y manner. Feedback is awesome. Should be back with another story soon!

xo Bells