Buffy's eyes snapped open.

She sat up in the dark and glanced at the clock on her bedside table. The digital clock read 3:12 a.m. Buffy frowned, and an eerie feeling of dread settled upon her. It hadn't been a nightmare that woke her up. No, more like a feeling. A feeling that something was about to happen.

Buffy grabbed her robe from the edge of the bed, shivering against the blast of icy air from the vent above, and rose to her feet. She walked over to the window and stared at the view from her apartment.

When she'd first moved here, it had taken her a while to get used to the city noise. Rome was anything but quiet, and nothing like Sunnydale. She'd come to realize later that she loved the constant activity. Living here, she never felt alone, and it was a little less lonely.

She remembered what brought her out of bed, and Buffy narrowed her eyes towards the empty café across the street, checking for any suspicious activity. But everything appeared to be normal.

Normal. It was something Buffy never expected to experience, but each day, she seemed to be getting closer to that dream.

Ever since Willow had performed the spell to call every potential slayer, the vampire and demon populations had dramatically decreased. With so many slayers all over the world, evil simply didn't have much of a chance. In fact, she'd only slayed three vampires total this month, and that was not for lack of trying. There were simply no vampires to slay.

Of course, there would still be the occasional apocalypse to worry about, but for now, the world hadn't ended yet.

A frantic knocking on the door pulled Buffy out of her reverie, and the eerie feeling of dread settled upon her again.

Okay…something was wrong.

Buffy made her way out of her bedroom and through the living room, wondering who was knocking on her door at three in the morning. It could be one of the girls. Sometimes they'd come to her if they needed her assistance or expertise, but at this hour?

Buffy unlatched the lock and opened the door, her eyes widening at the sight before her.

"Angel?"

He stood before her, various cuts and bruises covering his battered body. His clothing was practically ripped to shreds, and where it wasn't torn, blood stained the fabric. She wasn't sure if it was his blood or someone else's.

"Buffy," he moaned, collapsing at her feet.

"Angel!" Buffy kneeled down, bringing him upright again as she helped him through the doorway. "What happened to you?"

He didn't answer her question, but simply groaned in pain.

"Come on, lean on me. You should lie down."

Buffy managed to close the door, then led him to her guest bedroom, where Angel collapsed on the bed. She turned the lamp on to get a better view of his injuries, and Angel winced at the light.

"Sorry. I'll be right back."

She returned a few seconds later with the first aid kit she kept in the guest bathroom. She hadn't used it in a while, and was grateful that it appeared to be fully stocked.

"I need you to take your shirt off."

When Angel made no attempt to help her, Buffy realized she was going to have to do it herself. "Sit up."

Angel groaned again, moving slightly up, but it was just enough so that she could slip the bloody shirt off him. She tossed it to the floor, knowing immediately it was going in the trash later.

The worst injury Angel appeared to have was a large gash on his side. It had since stopped bleeding, but blood had dried on his skin. The wound looked like it could reopen at any time.

Buffy grabbed some antiseptic and gauze pads and went to work at cleaning his injuries. Some wounds were large, requiring the larger gauze pads. Others were minor. Nothing a few bandages wouldn't fix.

"God, Angel, what happened to you?"

"So cold…"

"You're cold?" Buffy tugged off his shoes and tossed them on the floor. Then, she reached for the edge of the comforter, managing to pull the covers down and over Angel. "Is that better?"

Angel didn't respond. He seemed to be slipping in and out of consciousness. It was no wonder he was exhausted, especially with all the blood loss.

It was then that the thought occurred to her.

Blood. He needed blood.

Surely her blood would make him heal faster. She hopped up from the bed, grabbing the bloody shirt and used gauze pads, then headed to the kitchen. She threw away the items, washed her hands, then grabbed a knife from the block on the counter.

Angel needed blood, and he was going to get it.

When she returned moments later, she noticed Angel fidgeting. His eyes were closed, but at least he was awake again.

Buffy rolled up the sleeve on her robe, and had been about to cut open her arm, when a sudden movement stopped her.

His chest was rising and falling, almost as if he were…breathing.

She thought she had imagined it at first, but there it was again. And again.

Buffy put the knife aside and reached for his wrist, feeling the unmistakable feel of his pulse, while at the same time, placing a hand over his chest. She could feel a steady beat underneath.

If that alone hadn't been enough to convince her he was alive, his reflection in the mirror was.

"Angel, you're human!" She gave him a shake, hoping to stir him awake.

Angel opened his eyes, staring at her for a moment with sleepy eyes. "Buffy?"

"Yes?"

He reached for her hand, giving it a weak squeeze. "It's you. It's really you."

"Yes, it's really me."

Angel smiled, then closed his eyes. He was out cold again.

Buffy felt tears spilling out of her eyes, confused and happy all at the same time. She didn't know why this was happening. She didn't know how it was happening. All that she knew was that Angel was alive, he was human. There'd be time for questions later. For now, she'd nurse him back to health.

Buffy stood up, pulling the covers up to Angel's shoulders. She placed a hand on his forehead, being mindful of the bandage there, and marveled at the warmness of his skin.

She decided it would be best to keep an eye on him, just in case he needed her in the night. She grabbed an extra blanket, curled up in the chair beside the bed, and watched Angel sleep.

Buffy felt a crick in her neck when she awoke. She hadn't intended to doze off, but apparently she had, for the first light of dawn was streaming into the room and throwing outlines of the blinds on the wall.

Suddenly Buffy panicked when she realized she should close the blinds. She stood up from her chair before she realized that Angel was human and the sun did not hurt him anymore. Wait, he was still human, right? Or had she dreamt that? Buffy glanced in the mirror, seeing Angel's sleeping form reflected back. Good, still human.

Buffy sat on the edge of the bed and peered over Angel. A sheen of sweat had formed on his forehead, and Buffy placed her hand there. He felt warm and clammy. Alarmed, Buffy rushed out of the room to fetch two things: a cold compress and two ibuprofen. Ibuprofen brought down fever, right?

She grabbed a cold pack from the freezer, a glass of water, and the bottle of ibuprofen on her way back to the bedroom. Angel was still sleeping when she set the items on the nightstand, but it appeared to be a restless sleep as he started to fidget and moan.

"Angel, I need you to wake up." When Angel didn't respond, she gave him a shake. "Angel."

Angel slowly opened his eyes. He seemed confused for a moment.

"Angel, you have a fever. Let me give you some ibuprofen."

When Angel struggled to sit up, Buffy grabbed another pillow to help prop him up, then assisted him to a raised position. She thrust the pills in his palm and held the glass of water next to his mouth. "Take them."

Angel was still weak, but he seemed to understand her as he began to do just that. He took the water Buffy offered and washed them down, then handed the glass back to her.

"Just lay down now, okay? You need to rest."

Once Angel was reclined again, Buffy placed the cold pack on his forehead. Angel closed his eyes and went back to sleep, though his brows were pleated in a frown. He was obviously not feeling well.

Buffy returned to her chair and started to bite her nails, a habit she hadn't done since she was a kid. She needed to do something, but no one was here to advise her on what to do. She could call Giles. Giles always seemed to have the answers, but Angel had always been a touchy subject with Giles.

Willow. She would call Willow.

Buffy went to the other room to grab the cordless phone, then returned to her chair to watch Angel. She mentally calculated what time it would be in England now, decided it wasn't too early, and made the call.

The phone rang a few times, then the voicemail clicked on.

"Hello, you reached the voicemail of Professor Rosenberg. My office hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 2-4, and Tuesday and Thursday 8-11. Please leave a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

The phone beeped, and Buffy began to speak.

"Will, pick up! I know you always go to your office before your class! It's—"

Willow's voice suddenly came onto the line. "Buffy? What's wrong?"

"Will, oh my god, I can't believe what's happened!"

"What? What is it?"

"It's Angel. He's human!"

"What? How did that—"

"I don't know! He showed up at my place in the middle of the night. I don't know what happened, but he was hurt pretty bad. He seemed a little delirious. I couldn't get much out of him. I didn't even realize he was human until after I finished bandaging his wounds."

"How is he now?"

"I think he's getting worse. He seems a little feverish. Willow, I don't know what to do! I'm worried!"

"Buffy, listen to me. If he's human, he probably has an infection, especially if he has a fever. You need to get him to a doctor."

"Oh my god. You're right, Willow! What am I doing? I only gave him an ibuprofen! I can't even take care of him right!"

"You're doing fine. Sometimes these things just happen pretty quickly, and you're probably also in shock."

"I need to go. Dr. Vincelli lives downstairs. If I hurry I can catch him before he leaves."

"Okay, go do that! And you'll call me later with an update?"

"Yeah. And Willow? Don't tell anyone about Angel yet. Not until I figure out what's going on first."

"No problem."

"Thanks, Willow."

Buffy hung up the phone, tossing it in the chair as she ran out of the room. Seconds later, she was out of the apartment, barreling down the two flights of stairs and running toward Apt. 2B.

Dr. Vincelli, the only English-speaking neighbor in her building, was a godsend. She had saved the man from vampires one evening, and after that, the good doctor was always willing to help her out and ask no questions if Buffy needed his assistance.

"Dr. Vincelli!" Buffy shouted as she pounded on the door. "Dr. Vincelli! Are you home?"

Moments later, an older man with a shock of white hair answered the door. "What's the matter, signorina?"

"Can you grab your medical bag? It's urgent. Something's wrong with my friend."

Dr. Vincelli nodded, and without further question, grabbed his bag and followed Buffy up the stairs.

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief, grateful she had caught the doctor in time.

Buffy paced the room, waiting for Dr. Vincelli to make his diagnosis, until finally, she could no longer stand the suspense.

"How is he? Is he going to be okay?"

Dr. Vincelli began to pack up his black bag. "Your friend has an infection."

"Is it serious?"

"You should keep a close eye on him. I'm going to prescribe an antibiotic." The doctor scribbled a note on a pad, then handed her the slip of paper. "Make sure he takes all of it, even if he starts to feel better. It's important to finish the whole bottle."

Buffy nodded. "Okay."

"Make sure he gets plenty of fluids, keep his wounds clean and change the dressing often, and call me if his condition worsens."

Buffy nodded again. "Okay. I will. Thank you so much, Dr. Vincelli."

Buffy showed the doctor to the door, then glanced down at the prescription in her hand. She breathed a sigh of relief. She needed to get this medicine, and then Angel would be okay.

Angel had awoken briefly when the doctor came to see him, but he felt so weak that all he wanted to do was sleep. So he closed his eyes again and intended to do just that.

He then felt a slight weight sitting on the bed, and he fought the weakness to open his eyes again. Sitting next to him was the most beautiful sight. "Buffy," he said groggily.

Buffy reached out and placed a hand on his cheek. "I'm here. But I have leave the apartment for a little while. I need to pick up your medicine. I'll be back in about twenty minutes, okay? You just rest, alright?"

Angel nodded slightly. He wanted to joke that he had no problem resting, but he felt too weak to talk for too long. He closed his eyes again, then felt her lips lightly brush against his forehead.

When he opened his eyes again, Buffy was gone.

Angel slept for hours. Buffy kept a constant vigil by his bedside. She had managed to awake him to take his antibiotic and force some fluids into him with the help of a straw, but after that, he went back to sleep and was dead to the world.

Buffy remained curled up in the chair next to the bed, watching him sleep. She had so many questions. What had happened to him? Who had he been fighting? How did he become human? But Angel was sick, and getting answers to her questions would have to wait.

The phone ringing pulled her out of her thoughts, and she reached for the cordless on the nightstand. A quick check of the caller ID told her it was Willow. With everything that had happened today, she had forgotten to call her back.

"Will. Hey."

"Hey, Buffy. How's Angel?"

"He's been sleeping all day. You were right. He has an infection. But the doctor prescribed him an antibiotic. I'm hoping it'll kick in soon."

"Well rest is good too. His body is fighting the infection and rest will help. Are you getting enough fluids in him?"

"When he's awake."

"Good. So I guess you still don't have any answers yet, do you?"

Buffy stared at Angel and saw him twitch in his sleep. "No. I have no idea what happened to him. He's too weak right now to carry on a conversation. I just can't believe it, Will. He's human. Do you know how many times I've dreamed of this happening? I've always wished that things could be normal for us, and for the first time, I feel like I'm getting closer to that dream."

"That's really exciting, Buffy. I can't wait to hear all about it."

Angel moaned in his sleep, and Buffy wondered if he was about to wake up. "Will, I better go. It's about time to give Angel his medicine again and he looks like he's stirring awake."

"Okay, I'll let you go. Give me a call sometime tomorrow and give me an update, okay?"

"Okay. Bye, Will. And thanks for your help."

"I didn't do anything."

"No, you did. Getting a doctor to see him was the right thing to do. If I had been thinking more clearly…"

"You're taking good care of him, Buffy. He's in very capable hands. That I'm sure of."

Angel moaned again, and Buffy became concerned. "Alright, Will. I'll talk to you later."

They ended their conversation, and Buffy rushed to Angel's side. "Angel?"

He opened his eyes briefly before closing them again.

"Angel, wake up. It's time to take your antibiotic again." Buffy reached for the medicine bottle on the nightstand and shook out another pill into the palm of her hand. "Angel, come on."

Angel opened his eyes again and reluctantly moved to a more upright position. She then offered the pill to Angel along with a glass of water. He popped the pill into his mouth, took a sip of water, then sank back into the pillows when he was done.

His eyes were closed again. Buffy placed the glass of water back on the nightstand, then placed her hand on his forehead. His fever had finally broke. She hoped that meant he was getting better.

It was a restless night for Buffy. She was concerned Angel was sleeping too much and not getting enough fluids, so she woke him up and forced him to drink water. She was relieved when later, Angel expressed the need to go to the bathroom. Perhaps she had been getting enough fluids into him after all.

He was still very weak, but was able to walk with her assistance to the bathroom. She waited just outside the door, which was slightly ajar, in case he needed her. When he was finished, she helped him back to the bedroom.

Angel literally fell on the bed and was dead to the world again. Then the air conditioner clicked on at that moment, sending a cold blast of air from the vent above. Buffy worried Angel might be cold, so she wrapped Angel up again until he was tucked in like a child.

She sat on the bed and could not resist touching his forehead. She moved a piece of hair from his face and smoothed it with her hand. "Oh, Angel, please get better. I've waited for you to be human forever." He couldn't die on her now, she thought to herself.

Angel opened his eyes. He was surprised to see the sun shining through the window, and it was beautiful. He had lived in darkness for so long, and the simple joy of seeing the light of day made him smile.

Then he turned his head and saw something even more beautiful. Buffy was curled up in the chair with her head resting on a small cushion. She was still sleeping, and the sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting lines of light on her face.

She was so beautiful. Buffy had always been beautiful to him, but it was rare that he got to see her in natural light.

She must have sensed he was awake and staring at her, for she soon opened her eyes and looked directly at him. "Angel. You're awake."

"Buffy," was all he could think of to say.

She smiled at him and moved from the chair to the bed. Her hand reached out to touch his forehead gently. "How are you feeling?"

"Still very tired, but not as bad as yesterday."

"That's good. That's really good. That means you're getting better."

Angel reached out and touched her cheek. "You're so beautiful."

Buffy knew his words were sincere, though she was quite certain she didn't want to look in the mirror right now. "You're human. How did this happen, Angel?"

Angel smiled, though it took effort to do so. He was getting tired again. "Just lucky…I guess."

"You're still tired. Go back to sleep. We'll talk later."

Angel nodded slightly, then closed his eyes again. He wanted to get his strength back. He wanted to enjoy being human.

When Angel awoke again, Buffy was still by his side. She had obviously showered and changed her clothes. He could smell the flowery scent of her freshly washed hair.

She stood up when Angel looked at her and moved to sit beside him on the bed. "Hey, sleepyhead. How you feeling now?"

"Tired of sleeping," he answered.

"Well that's okay. It's time for you to take your medicine anyway."

Buffy gave Angel his medicine and a glass of water, then assisted him to the bathroom again, though he wasn't as weak as before. When she helped him back into bed, she had just the idea of what Angel needed to make him feel better.

"Hey, you feel like eating anything?"

Angel thought about it, then smiled. "Yeah, I think I am hungry. But I don't know what I feel like eating."

"How about some soup? That always makes me feel better when I'm sick. And the café across the street makes the best."

Angel nodded. "Soup is fine."

"Any preference as to what kind?"

Angel smiled. "Anything is fine. Why don't you surprise me?"

"Alright then. I'll be back in a little while."

Buffy rose from the bed. When she made it to the door, she paused and turned to look at him. "Don't go anywhere now. Doctor's orders."

Angel laughed. He was definitely not going anywhere.

True to her word, Buffy was back shortly with a container of hot soup.

"It's chicken and gnocchi," she said as she took the lid off and placed a spoon in it. "I had them make it extra brothy. It'll go down easier that way."

"Well it smells delicious," he said as he moved to sit up. He took the soup from her, but felt at a loss as to how to eat the soup and not make a complete mess of everything. It had been a while since he had eaten soup.

"Here, let me," Buffy offered, taking the soup back.

Angel seemed reluctant, but Buffy just smiled. "Please, just let me. I want to take care of you, and you're still weak. Plus, I bet it's kind of hard to eat human food after 200 some odd years, huh?" Buffy smiled as she dipped the spoon into the soup and then offered it to Angel.

Angel let the soup settle on his tongue, savoring the flavor of it, before swallowing.

"Good?" Buffy asked hopefully.

"That's the best soup I've ever had in my life."

Buffy laughed and offered him another spoonful. "Told you. Authentic Italian. Can't go wrong with that."

Angel eagerly took another spoonful, and they were both quiet for a while as she fed him.

"I can't believe I'm feeding you human food," Buffy marveled as she watched him scarf it all down. She'd never seen him eat anything except for blood, and even then, she rarely saw him do that in front of her.

When he polished the bowl off, Buffy set it aside on the nightstand. "What else can I get for you?" she asked as she then busied herself with straightening Angel's covers.

Angel reached out and touched her arm, and she then stopped messing with the covers. "I've missed you. Stay with me?"

Buffy nodded, then moved to the other side of the bed. There was an extra pillow, but Buffy preferred Angel's shoulder. She curled up against him and rested her head there, then let out a content sigh as he wrapped his arm around her.

She had missed this. She missed being this close with Angel. But it was different now. Good different. Buffy couldn't resist the urge to move her hand to his chest and over his heart. She smiled as she felt the thump, thump, thump beneath her fingers.

"It feels good," Angel said.

"Yeah, it does. It's so…strong." Buffy glanced up at him with tears in her eyes. "You're going to be okay."

"Only because of you. I…I didn't think I would make it. But I didn't want to leave this world without seeing you one more time."

Buffy's expression grew serious. She remembered how bad Angel had looked. Thank god he had been able to make it to her place. "What happened out there, Angel?"

"It was bad."

"Apocalyptic bad?"

Angel nodded. "I'd been tracking a demon species from another dimension across Europe for some time. It was a dangerous breed of demon. They go to different worlds, kill the inhabitants, then take over the world and deplete all of its resources before moving on to the next one.

"When I finally tracked them down to just outside of Rome, I learned they intended to go through with their plans soon. I had met some people along the way, and they were helping me fight. They…they didn't make it. I was the only one who survived. But we were able to stop them. After that, I was so badly injured. Even though I had lived, I wasn't sure if I was going to stay living. And then, all I could think of was you."

Angel looked at her intently, then reached out to touch her face. "I just didn't want to die without seeing you one last time."

"Angel, why didn't you call me? I could have helped."

"I know, and maybe I should have. But I didn't want your help for two reasons. The first one is a little selfish. I just didn't want anything bad to happen to you." Angel reached out and cupped her cheek in his palm. "I knew it was going to be bad, and I don't think I could live with myself if I asked you for help and then something happened to you."

"What was the second reason?"

"The second reason was a bit more practical. I needed you to be my second front. If I didn't make it, I needed someone on the outside to be there to stop it."

"But you did it. You stopped it."

Angel nodded.

"You still haven't answered the biggest question of all. How did you become human?"

Angel was quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts. And then, he answered. "The Shanshu Prophecy. It came true. I was lying on the ground, and this warm light surrounded me. And I just knew."

"Hold on, back up. The what prophecy?"

"Shanshu. I learned about it a long time ago. It stated that a vampire with a soul would help avert an apocalypse, and as a reward, would be granted humanity."

Buffy's eyes widened and she sat up and stared at him. "Oh my god! Angel, why didn't you ever tell me about this?"

"Because…I wasn't sure when it would happen. I wasn't sure if it would even happen in your lifetime, and I didn't want to get your hopes up. Besides, it didn't matter much anyway. It wasn't going to happen. Or at least, I thought it wasn't."

"What do you mean?"

"I signed it away. It wasn't supposed to happen."

"What? Why would you do that?"

"It's a long story involving Wolfram & Hart and the Senior Partners. Basically I was trying to infiltrate this demon organization to find out who the Senior Partners were. But in order to do that, they had me sign away my claim to the Shanshu Prophecy. But I guess it happened anyway. I'm not sure why though. This is all very…confusing."

Buffy smiled. "I think I know why it happened."

"What's that?"

Buffy returned her head to Angel's shoulder and placed a hand around him lovingly. "Because, you can't stop a prophecy from coming true. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. I should know."

Angel smiled. "Perhaps."

"I'm so glad you're human. You have no idea how many times I've wished for this to happen."

They were quiet for several moments, and Angel reflected back to his brief stint of humanity one Thanksgiving weekend several years back. Then, he had given back his humanity, but it had cost him the one person that had meant most to him in his life. He wasn't so sure he wanted to give it up this time around. It felt so good to have Buffy back in his arms.

After a while, Angel looked down and realized why Buffy was so quiet. She was asleep. Perhaps taking care of him had been exhausting to her. Angel smiled, closed his eyes, and went to sleep too.

When Angel opened his eyes, he was disappointed to realize that Buffy was no longer in bed next to him. He looked around, not seeing her anywhere in the room, but then heard her voice. It was soft and low, and it sounded like she was talking to someone. He quickly surmised she was talking to someone on the phone.

The door was open, and Angel caught a glimpse of her in the living room. She paced back and forth with the phone in one hand and the other in her hair twirling a lock of it.

"I just can't believe he's human, Will. It's like, everything I've ever dreamed of but never thought in a millions years would happen."

Buffy walked out of view again, and Angel felt a wave of guilt. He had been human before, but of course Buffy would not have remembered the last time. He had the Oracles turn back time. It pained him to do that to Buffy, but at the time, he felt he had no other choice.

Things were different this time around. The world was different. In just five years, the vampire population had a serious dent in its numbers. It was all thanks to Buffy and her friends, of course. And yes, there was always an apocalypse around the corner, but thankfully not every week as it had seemed before. Things in the world were getting better. The good guys were winning. He decided that this time, he was going to stay human. The Shanshu was his reward for doing good. He was going to enjoy that reward.

"I've got to go," he heard Buffy say in the phone. "I think Angel just woke up."

Angel looked up to see Buffy standing in the doorway with the phone to her ear. She smiled at him as she said her goodbyes to Willow, then ended the conversation and walked into the bedroom.

"Hey. You doing okay? You slept for hours."

"I didn't hear you wake up."

"I was quiet. Can I get you anything? Is there anything you need?"

"I'd really like a shower come to think of it."

"Yeah, you need one," Buffy teased.

"I don't have a change of clothes though."

"Oh, I have just the thing." Buffy opened the closet and began rummaging around in it. She took out a shirt and held it up. "I think this might fit."

Angel took one look at the shirt, obviously a man's shirt, and immediately felt a twinge of jealousy. "You have men's clothing in your guest bedroom closet?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I have a few clothes around, yeah."

"I know Andrew used to be your roommate, but that doesn't look like his size."

"It's not Andrew's shirt. It's…Riley's."

"Riley keeps clothes at your apartment?"

"Don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

"Get all growly and possessive," she said with a laugh. "It's not what you think. Riley and his very lovely wife Sam came for a visit. They left in a hurry though because they almost missed their flight and some things got left behind."

"Riley's married?"

"Yes, and has been for a long time actually. They even have a little boy together."

Buffy placed the shirt on the bed, and Angel stared at it as if he was reluctant to even touch it because it once belonged to a man he didn't like very much.

"Oh come on, just wear it," Buffy said, teasing him. "It's only temporary. We'll buy you some new clothes. I happen to be very good at shopping for clothes. Especially here."

Angel smiled at her. "No wonder you love living in Italy."

Buffy smiled back at him. "Well it is the fashion capital of the world."

A few minutes later, Angel was in the shower while Buffy busied herself with making dinner. Now that Angel was starting to feel better, she hoped he had an appetite.

By the time Angel had gotten out of the shower and dressed, the apartment was filled with pleasant aromas from the kitchen. Angel wandered into the kitchen and sat down at the barstool. He watched Buffy move about in the kitchen. When she spotted him, she smiled.

"Good shower?"

"The best."

"Do you need help bandaging your wounds again?"

"I took care of it, but thank you. In fact, thank you for everything. I think you might have saved my life."

Buffy smiled at him. "You're very welcome."

"So…something smells good."

"I hope you're hungry. I thought I'd make us dinner."

"I'm starving. It's so strange to feel hungry for actual food. What are we having?"

"Well, I thought I'd make us a traditional Italian dinner. We're having spaghetti, salad, and something you could never have as a vampire…"

"And what would that be?"

"Garlic bread!" Buffy said with a laugh.

Angel laughed with her. "Well it all sounds delicious. I didn't know you enjoyed cooking."

"I don't, but it's kind of hard to mess up spaghetti and salad. And as long as I don't burn the garlic bread, we'll be in good shape. The sauce is homemade though."

"You made the sauce?"

"Well…no. An Italian friend of mine did. You'll love it."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Nope, you're my guest. And plus, you're still recovering. You just sit back and let me handle dinner."

"But I feel fine. I feel great actually. Someone took good care of me when I was sick. Let me help with something."

Buffy smiled at him, then relented. "Okay, you can help set the table." Buffy opened the cabinet and reached for two plates, then grabbed some silverware from the drawer. She handed the items across the counter to Angel.

As Angel went about setting the table, Buffy brought the salad out.

"Do you often have candlelit dinners?" Angel asked her.

The question threw Buffy for a moment until she realized he was pointing to the two candles in the center of the table. "Oh, that's just for decoration. You can light them if you want though."

Angel nodded, and Buffy fished out a book of matches from a drawer.

He lit them, and Buffy then had an idea. She walked over to the light switch and dimmed the lights until they were on a low setting. "There, how about that?"

Angel smiled at her. "Perfect."

Angel finished setting the table while Buffy brought out the rest of the food. A few minutes later, they were ready to eat.

"This looks incredible," Angel said as he looked at the spread of food before him.

Buffy held up her wine glass and smiled at him. "Buon Appetito!"

Angel suddenly felt ravenous and couldn't decide what he wanted to try first.

"Taste the garlic bread. I'm dying to see your reaction to it."

Angel laughed, then picked up the bread and took a bite out of it.

Buffy watched as he chewed, then swallowed the bread.

"Well?"

Angel answered by taking another bite. "Good," he said with a full mouth.

Buffy laughed.

He then grabbed his fork, twirled some of the spaghetti on it, and shoved it into his mouth. Buffy knew right away that he approved, for he moaned in delight as he ate. He then practically inhaled another forkful.

"My compliments to the chef," he said when he finally came up for air.

"Thanks. But actually, the compliments should really go to Carmen. No one makes homemade spaghetti sauce like she does."

"I hope she makes more because I can promise you that this will go very fast." Angel shoved another forkful of spaghetti in his mouth.

"Oh don't worry, she will. She's always trying to fatten me up with her cooking. Every time I see her, she's like, 'Mangia! Mangia! You need to eat! You're skin and bones!' And then she proceeds to give me a lasagna and about ten jars of sauce to take home."

Angel laughed. "She sounds like quite a character."

"She's Italian through and through."

"How did you meet?"

"She's the mother of one of the girls I train."

"How's that going by the way?"

"It's great. I have my own gym now."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Mostly I train the slayers, but I also give self-defense classes to girls and young women."

"Well if you ever need anyone to assist you, I'm pretty good at that."

"Thanks, I'll keep you in mind. A brother of one of the girls helps me out, but he can't do it forever."

"So, how is everyone? How's your sister?"

"Dawnie's good. She goes back to school next week. She'll be a senior at UC Berkley this semester. I tried to convince her to come stay with me in Rome for the summer, but she didn't want to. Apparently she would rather spend time with her new boyfriend than with her big sister."

Angel shook his head. "I can't picture Dawn in college and dating boys. Every time I think of her, I think of the scrawny little kid she used to be."

"I know, right? Now I have an idea of how my parents felt when I was a teenager. But I don't worry too much about her. Xander doesn't live too far away and he always keeps an eye on her. Or rather, he keeps his 'one eye on her' as he likes to joke."

"What about Willow? I know she was going back to school. What's she doing now?"

"Will's at Oxford."

"Taking more graduate courses?"

"No, teaching graduate courses. We call her Professor Rosenberg now. She gets a kick out of it. But she's so happy. And I'm glad that she finally found out what she wanted to do in life. I always knew she was smart."

"Does she still practice…?"

"Witchcraft? Only when necessary, and I never bother her with it unless I absolutely need her help. But mostly Giles and I have it covered."

"And what's Giles up to?"

Buffy couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. "He's living in a Scotland castle with about fifty slayers in training. And Giles thought putting up with me was rough." Buffy laughed at the thought, and Angel laughed with her.

"He'll never get to retire, will he?"

"Not likely. We keep finding new slayers. I get up there once in a while to help him out. Andrew's there too, but I don't know how much help he is."

As they finished up dinner, Buffy caught Angel stifling a yawn. "You're tired."

"Just…a little. How can I be tired? I slept all day."

"Why don't you go relax in the living room? I'll clean up."

"I can help with that."

"No, you're still recovering and your my guest. Go relax. I won't be long. Oh, and brush your teeth too. All that garlic." Buffy made a teasing face at him. "There's a brand new toothbrush in the cabinet."

Angel relented, and Buffy went about clearing the table and cleaning the dishes. When she finished, she went to the living room where she saw Angel lying on the couch. He was fast asleep.

Buffy smiled, then moved to grab the blanket that draped over the back of the couch. Being careful not to awake him, she covered Angel.

If this has been any other night, Buffy would have gone out for patrol. But things had been so quiet, and the girls could handle it. She reminded herself to call them in the morning. She wasn't going to be at the gym for a few days. She was the boss. She could take time off, and she had deserved it. Besides, she had more pressing matters to deal with right now.

Buffy leaned forward, gently kissed Angel on the forehead without waking him, then turned off the lamp. Perhaps she should head to bed herself.

When Angel awoke the next morning, he was slightly confused. How did he end up in the living room? He then realized he must have fallen asleep. He hadn't remembered Buffy wrapping him up.

Speaking of…where was she anyway? He looked around, but the apartment seemed quiet. Maybe she was still sleeping.

Angel sat up and blinked his eyes a few times. He then rose to his feet, stretched his arms, then headed to the bathroom. A few minutes later, curiosity got the best of him. He moved towards Buffy's half-closed bedroom door. Gently he pushed it open, hoping the door hinges would not creak and wake her up. He was surprised, however, to see she was not in the bed. In fact, it was already made up. The bathroom door was also wide open, and dark. No one was in there, though he thought he smelled the lingering scent of her shampoo.

Where was she?

Angel roamed around the small apartment until finally, he saw a note on the coffee table. He couldn't believe he had overlooked it. Angel picked up the note and read:

Angel,

Gone out to get a few things for you…and some breakfast for the both of us. Make yourself at home. Don't forget to take your medicine.

Be back soon.

Buffy

Angel put the note back on the coffee table, then looked around the small apartment for something to keep him occupied. He never really was one for television, preferring books instead. But Buffy seemed to be lacking in the reading department, other than an English/Italian dictionary, a guide to Rome, and a few Italian fashion magazines spread out on the table. He smiled at the thought of Buffy sitting on her couch and flipping through the pictures. He knew her fashion sense always drove Giles crazy. Angel never minded though.

He didn't want to go back to sleep. In fact, he felt fully refreshed, and he was feeling much better now. He remembered to take his antibiotic and then found himself exploring Buffy's apartment. He would never, of course, invade her privacy. He remembered how Buffy reacted the time she had thought he had read her diary. It was hard to believe that was so long ago.

Angel occupied himself with looking at the pictures in her living room. He was practically surrounded by pictures, and it made him wonder if perhaps Buffy was lonely here in Rome by herself. There were pictures of her family, of course. One of Buffy and her sister. Another of her and her mother. There were a few pictures of Buffy with Willow and Xander. One of Giles. A few more of people he didn't recognize. Maybe they were the girls Buffy trained.

And then, another picture caught his eye. Angel picked up the frame, seeing that it was a picture taken long ago of the two of them. He tried to remember who had taken it, but couldn't remember. Must have been Willow. It was a good shot of the two of them taken at the Bronze.

He placed the picture back on the shelf, then smiled to himself when he noticed there were no pictures of Spike or Riley. Apparently he was the only ex-boyfriend to make it to her picture shelf.

And then, it occurred to him…what exactly was he to her now? He had been so sick that he had barely had time to digest the fact that he was human. And now that he was human, and he had already decided there was no going back on that decision, there was the possibility that they could actually have a future together.

A future with Buffy. He smiled at the thought. He loved Buffy. He had never stopped loving her. And judging from the fact that she held on to that picture of the two of them for so long, he was willing to bet she still loved him too.

A key jingling in the lock alerted him that Buffy was home. The front door opened and Buffy walked in, her arms laden with shopping bags.

She smiled when she saw him. "Hey, you're up. Are feeling better? Did you take your medicine?"

"Yes, and I'm feeling much better."

"Good."

"What is all that? Where did you go?"

"Well…" Buffy placed the bags on the table. "I know you're probably tired of wearing Riley's clothes, so I picked up a few things for you to wear. There's a place right across the street. I guessed at your size but I'm pretty sure they'll fit."

"You didn't have to do that, but thank you."

Angel rifled through the shopping bags, seeing a few shirts, pants, socks, and even boxers. Buffy had thought of everything. All of it was designer wear too and probably expensive. He'd be sure to pay Buffy back later.

"And I hope you're hungry. I bought some coffee and pastries from this fabulous place down the street."

Angel eyed the delicious looking pastries Buffy placed on the table. "This looks delicious."

"Hope you have a sweet-tooth. Italian breakfasts are usually pretty sugary."

Angel did, in fact, enjoy breakfast. Afterwards, he got dressed in some of the new clothes Buffy had bought for him.

"So…what do you want to do?" Buffy asked him. "We could watch a movie on television…but it'll be in Italian. Or we could listen to some music. Also, in Italian. It is a very beautiful language however."

"I want to see your gym."

"You…want to go out?"

"Yeah. Show me where you work. I want to know all about your life here. I want to see Rome with you."

"Are you sure you feel up to going out?"

"I feel great. The rest did me some good. Someone took real good care of me. And plus, I'm feeling a little stir-crazy."

Buffy smiled. "Okay, if you're sure."

"I am."

"Alright. Let me change, and then I'll be ready."

"You don't need to change. What you're wearing is beautiful."

She was wearing a floral summer dress, which accentuated her curves and showed off a good portion of her neck, which Angel appreciated. He supposed even though he was no longer a vampire, he'd always be a neck man. Some men preferred legs. And though he did appreciate legs as well, the neck was his favorite.

"Well thank you, but I was really referring to my shoes." Buffy indicated her high-heeled shoes. "I love these shoes, but if we're going to go sightseeing, I'll need some flat sandals."

Angel laughed. Yes, she was still all about fashion. But practical when necessary.

"I can't believe I'm seeing you in the sunlight," Buffy said as she and Angel exited her apartment building. It was a bright August day with not a cloud in the sky.

"I can't believe I'm not burning to a crisp," Angel said. He looked up at the blue sky and squinted his eyes against the bright light.

"I should have bought a pair of sunglasses for you."

"I'm fine. Just remind me to not to look at the sun every now and then, will you?"

Buffy laughed. "Come on, my gym is this way. It's not very far. We can walk."

A few minutes later, Buffy turned down an alley behind a pizzeria and headed for a side entrance to the building. She dug her keys out of her purse and unlocked the door, then switched on a light and moved aside so that Angel could enter.

"Well, this is it," she said.

The room was about medium size. Not large, but still big enough to accommodate several people. The floor was almost completely covered with exercise mats. Towards the back, there was an area where people could lift weights along with several other pieces of exercise equipment. And along the walls were full length mirrors that went from floor to ceiling.

Angel spotted himself in one of those mirrors, then stared at Buffy's reflection next to him. She was grinning ear to ear.

"What?" he asked her.

Buffy's smile grew wider. "I'm still trying to get used to seeing your reflection in the mirror."

Angel laughed softly. "Me too."

"So, what do you think of my gym?"

"I love it."

"It's not much, I know, but it's perfect for the girls. I just have a small group here I work with. Most of the others are in Scotland with Giles. The girls all have a key and I let them come here whenever they want. And the pizza place is right next door, so that pretty much guarantees they'll come back."

Though there wasn't much to show, Buffy led Angel to the back to show him her storage space. Here, she had more exercise equipment, first aid kits, and a stash of clean towels.

"And this is my favorite area," Buffy said, leading Angel to a closet. She opened the door, then proceeded to show Angel her stockpile of weapons.

"You have an arsenal in here."

"The vampire population may have gone down, but you never know when you're going to need to slay a sloth demon, or something else equally disturbing. Best to always be prepared for anything."

"Or a demon species planning an apocalypse," Angel added.

"Yes, and there's that. Always one of those around the corner."

"How has it been in Rome?" Angel asked out of curiosity. "I've been in Europe for months and it's nothing like it was five years ago."

"I've killed three vampires this month."

Angel let out a low whistle. "Wow."

"Yeah. Of course, there's been more than that. The girls are pretty eager to try out their new slaying abilities. I used to kill big bad vamps like the Master. And now, I've been regulated to killing the lone vampire drunk who's hanging out with the feral cats at the Colosseum."

She smiled, letting Angel know she wasn't bothered by it, though Angel could tell she was still trying to get used to it. Less vamps and more slayers: the new norm.

"I'm sure the girls appreciate your expertise."

"It's nice to have more slayers. For the longest time it was just Faith and I. And now…well there's so many, I've lost track. I never understood why there had to be one chosen one. One girl up against all those vampires? How is that fair?"

"You did pretty well though."

Buffy smiled. "Thanks, but I never worked alone. I had some help. You especially." Buffy looked around the small space, as if she was looking to see what else she could show Angel.

"Well, that's pretty much it. My gym. Now, how about seeing Rome?"

Angel nodded. "I'd love to. Lead the way."

"I forgot how beautiful Rome is," Angel said as they walked down a cobblestone street. "Although I have to admit this is the first time I've seen it in the daytime. It's even more beautiful in the sunlight."

Buffy smiled at him, then reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. He smiled back at her, and they continued to walk, hand-in-hand.

"It is beautiful," Buffy said as she stared off in the distance. "It's one of the reasons I love living here."

"Do you ever miss California?"

She pondered it for a moment, then replied, "Sometimes. But I don't think I'll move back. Well, maybe. Dawn's still there, and she doesn't want to leave. But Sunnydale is gone." Buffy looked at Angel, who stared back at her. "It's just not the same anymore. And besides, this is my home now."

"Who wouldn't want to stay here?" Angel said.

"Speaking of beautiful Rome…where do you want to go first?"

Angel shrugged. "I don't know. You know this city better than I do. How about you be my tour guide?"

"Okay, well in that case, the Colosseum it is! You can't go to Rome and not see the Colosseum."

Angel smiled. "Agreed. Lead the way."

After touring the Colosseum, their stomachs were both grumbling, so Buffy suggested they get something to eat. And she knew the perfect place.

It was one of her favorite restaurants, mostly because of the food, but also because many of the tourists didn't know about it. It was sort of a local secret.

"Signorina!" said a middle-aged Italian man with a dark mustache when he saw Buffy walk in. "Come stai?"

"Ciao, Mario. Bene grazie. Questo è il mio amico Angel."

Mario turned to Angel and shook his hand. "Piacere di conoscerti!"

"Piacere mio," Angel replied.

Mario turned his attention back to Buffy, and the two carried on a conversation in Italian like old friends. Angel watched this scene, amused.

Finally, Mario led them to a table and told them their waiter would be along shortly. When he left, Angel looked to Buffy and smiled. "Your Italian is pretty impressive."

Buffy smiled. "I'm not fluent in it by any means, but I've picked up enough to get by."

Angel thought she was being modest. She had picked up more than a few words to get by. Who was this Buffy living in Rome? Of course, she was still the same Buffy he remembered, but she had grown up. He wondered what else she had picked up.

"I can't believe I'm having lunch with you in broad daylight," Buffy said in amazement.

"Yeah, I'm still trying to get used to it myself. If someone had told me a week ago that I would be human, I'm not sure I would have believed them. This has all been a huge…surprise."

Buffy nodded. "For me too."

"Buffy, I'm not sure what this means. I'm not sure what it means…for us."

"I am." Buffy reached across the table and took hold of his hand. Then, she looked up at him and said, "It means we can finally be together."

"Buongiorno," said the waiter with incredibly bad timing. He then proceeded to tell them of their wine specials for the day and finally took their drink orders. Angel thought he would never leave.

When the waiter finally left, Angel looked to Buffy. They were still holding hands, and Angel reached across the table to hold Buffy's other hand. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that."

"It's always been you, Angel. I've never stopped loving you. I've dreamed of this happening, as impossible as it seemed. I just never thought it would actually happen. You're human."

"I've never stopped loving you either."

"There is one thing though," Buffy said ominously, and before she could finish, the waiter interrupted them again.

The waiter placed their drinks on the table, then asked in Italian if they were ready to order. Buffy replied that they needed a few more minutes, and the waiter finally left the table.

"What's the one thing?" Angel asked, feeling almost nervous.

"I think we should take things slow. We're different people now, and we haven't seen each other in so long. You've changed. I've changed. When I met you, I was sixteen years old. I've done a lot of growing up since then. And now I'm twenty-seven and…wow, I feel so old."

"You feel old?" Angel said, laughing.

Buffy laughed with him. "Well, not as old as you I suppose. So, what do you think?"

"I think you're right. Maybe we should take things slow. This being human thing is…sort of new to me. I'd forgotten what it felt like."

"We'll experience it together. I'll have to get used to seeing you in the sunlight," she said, smiling. "Well, maybe we should figure out what we want to eat before the waiter comes back."

"Right." Angel reluctantly let go of Buffy's hands, then reached for his menu and began to peruse his options.

Buffy, having been a regular at this restaurant for years, quickly decided what she wanted to have and put her menu down. She stared at Angel as he still read the lunch menu.

Then, on an impulse, she had an idea. Underneath the table, she slipped off one of her sandals and brushed her bare foot against the inside of his leg. She smiled when she saw Angel look away from his menu to stare at her.

"Just feeling your skin," she said. "I'm not used to it feeling so warm."

"That was incredible," Angel said as they left the restaurant. It was, quite possibly, the best meal Angel had ever had in his life.

"I told you it was Rome's best kept secret," Buffy said.

"But tell me again why you wouldn't let me have any dessert?"

Buffy looked at him and smiled. "Because, then you wouldn't have any room for gelato." Buffy turned to face Angel and took his hand, pulling him forward while walking backwards. "And you haven't experienced Italy until you've tasted gelato."

"That's like, ice cream, right?"

"Better. Come on, I know the perfect place. It's not far to walk."

A few minutes later, they arrived at Buffy's favorite gelato shop. A cold blast of air greeted them as they walked through the doors, which was a welcome relief from the late August heat.

Before them was a freezer full of about twenty different kinds of gelato. Angel looked at them all, then felt slightly overwhelmed. "I don't know which one to get. There are so many to choose from."

"Well, if it helps at all, I've sampled all of the flavors. And they're all delicious."

Angel browsed the selections, and after a few moments, found one he thought he'd like. "How about that one? Cookie dough and mint chips?"

Buffy grabbed his arm excitedly. "That's my favorite one!" she whispered.

"Oh is it?" Angel smiled at her. He wasn't surprised at all in fact.

"There used to be this ice cream that I ate all the time. Cookie-dough-fudge-mint-chip. Oh, it was so good. And then they stopped making it, because that's what happens when you really love something like that. They stop making it. But then I discovered this gelato, and it's even better than that."

"It looks good." And if was half as good as the ice cream Buffy had mentioned, which Angel had been quite fond of himself, he knew he was going to love it.

Decision made, they walked out of the shop a few minutes later with two cones of the cookie dough mint chip gelato.

"What do you think?" Buffy asked expectantly as she watched Angel sample the gelato.

In response, Angel closed his eyes and groaned.

Buffy laughed. "Now you've truly experienced Italy."

They finished their gelato and continued walking, taking in the sights and sounds of Rome.

"Are you having fun?" Buffy asked.

Angel smiled at her. "Yeah. I don't think I've ever enjoyed Rome this much."

"When's the last time you've been to Rome?"

Angel thought about it for a moment. "It was…2004? Yes, 2004. I was uh, here with Spike."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "What were you and Spike doing in Rome?"

"Long story involving Wolfram & Hart. I won't bore you with it. You know, we came to see you. But Andrew said you were out."

Buffy frowned. "Andrew never told me you stopped by."

"Well…you were little preoccupied. You know…dating the Immortal and all." The words pained him to say. "We tracked you down to a night club and saw you dancing. We left after that."

Angel hadn't wanted to bring up the Immortal, but maybe it was good to get this out in the open. Angel looked to Buffy to see her reaction. He was surprised to see her doubled over and laughing.

"Okay, I didn't know this was funny."

"I'm sorry!" Buffy said, trying to stop herself from laughing. When she finally composed herself, she looked to Angel and smiled. "That wasn't me. That was a decoy slayer."

"A decoy?" Angel was immensely relieved to hear that.

"Yeah. It was Andrew's idea. He thought it would be funny. It was actually kind of clever though. We got valuable information, and it protected my identity for a while."

"She looked a lot like you."

"She must have to have fooled both you and Spike."

"Well, we only saw her from a distance. So, if you weren't in Rome then, where were you?"

"I was in Scotland helping Giles get things set up for the slayers. And then I came back to Rome. The decoy slayer moved out of my apartment and Andrew stayed there for a while with me. After that, he moved on, and since then it's just been me. Did you really think I was dating the Immortal?"

"Well…yeah."

"Please, he's so not my type."

"Oh yeah? So what is your type?"

Buffy smiled. "You."

Angel wanted to kiss her right then and there, but Buffy was suddenly distracted by something.

"Oh, we have to stop here!" she said.

"Why?"

Buffy nodded to her left. Behind the crowds of tourists was the Trevi Fountain.

"We have to stop and throw some coins into the fountain," she said. "It's tradition."

Angel patted his pocket for his wallet. "I think I only have bills. I don't have any coins."

"That's okay. I do. Come on." Buffy took his hand and led him towards the fountain. The number of tourists here couldn't be helped, but the two managed to find a spot that gave them a clear view of it.

"It's beautiful," Angel said.

"You should see it at night. It's all lit up and everything."

"Okay, so how does this work? Refresh my memory. You throw a coin into the fountain and make a wish?"

"Well, you can throw in one, two, or three coins. One coin means you'll return to Rome. Two coins means you'll find a new romance. And three coins means marriage is in your future. However many coins you want to throw in is up to you."

A smile spread across Angel's face, and he held out his hand, palm-up. "I want to throw in three coins."

Buffy smiled back at him. "Me too." Digging into her purse, Buffy pulled out a small coin purse and placed three coins into Angel's hand. Then she took out three coins for herself.

Angel began to raise his hand to throw the coins, but Buffy grabbed his arm to stop him. "No! Not like that!"

Angel, with his hand still posed in mid-air, looked at her with a confused expression.

"There's a special way you have to do it," she explained.

"Oh, okay. How do you do it?"

"First, turn around, your back to the fountain. Okay, now, keep the coins in your right hand, but you're going to throw them over your left shoulder. And we're going to throw them at the same time. Got it?"

"Okay." Angel held on to the coins in his fist and raised his hand to his left shoulder. "Ready?"

Buffy nodded. "Now."

Together, they threw their coins into the fountain. Angel immediately turned around. "Did they make it into the fountain?"

"They made it," Buffy said.

Angel turned his attention away from the fountain and looked at Buffy, who was staring right back at him. Angel reached for her hand, pulling her closer to him. They were quiet for a moment as they stared into each other's eyes. Then slowly, Angel inched forward and kissed her lips.

Buffy had wanted to show him everything, but it wasn't possible to see all of Rome in one day. She had lived here for years, and still, she felt as if she hadn't seen it all. So instead, she took Angel to one of her favorite locations.

"So, what do you think?" Buffy asked, nudging Angel. They stood at the top of Gianicolo Hill which overlooked Rome and leaned against the wall. The view was absolutely breathtaking.

"It's…incredible. Peaceful."

Buffy climbed up on the wall to sit with her legs dangling over the side. "Come, sit. The sun is about to set. You don't want to miss it."

Angel moved to sit beside her, and Buffy leaned against him. Angel put his arm around her. Together, they watched the sky turn golden as the sun began its descent.

"You know, it's funny," Angel said. "Sunset was always my favorite time of day. For obvious reasons. But I never really got to see it."

They stayed well past the sunset and watched the sky grow darker. Below them, the city began to glow with lights. Up here, away from the crowded streets, it was quiet. Buffy and Angel took full advantage of this. Gianicolo Hill wasn't one of the most romantic places in Rome for nothing.

As they kissed, Buffy pulled back and giggled.

"What?" Angel asked, smiling.

"I feel like a teenager again," she said. "Remember how we used hang out in a cemetery and do this for hours?"

Angel nodded. "I remember. I like Rome better though."

"Me too," Buffy said, then resumed their kiss.

It was late by the time they arrived back at her apartment. They had dinner at an outside trattoria Buffy loved before deciding they were both exhausted and had seen enough of Rome for one day. Besides, there was always tomorrow, and Rome wasn't going anywhere.

And then came the awkward moment in the hallway.

"So…" Buffy began. "I guess we should go to bed. I mean…you know."

"Yeah. It's been a busy day."

"Yes, and you're probably tired. And you remembered to take your medicine, right?"

Angel smiled. "Yes, doctor."

"Oh good. Just checking."

"Well, goodnight, Buffy."

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."

They had both said goodnight, but neither of them made a move towards their respective bedrooms.

"So, this is me," Buffy said, slowing backing towards her bedroom door. "Going to sleep now."

Angel made the first move as he backed her into the wall and kissed her on the mouth. Buffy returned his kiss with equal fervor, then wrapped her arms around his neck.

For a moment, they both paused, and Buffy looked up to stare into Angel's eyes. They silently came to a mutual agreement. Buffy reached for Angel's hand and led him into her bedroom.

Once inside, their mouths met again in a frenzied rush. Angel cradled Buffy's face in his hands, then reached for the clip holding her hair back. Buffy's hair had gotten much longer, and Angel ran his hands through it as it fell around her shoulders.

Buffy pulled away for a just a moment while she tugged at the buttons on Angel's shirt, hastily trying to get the thing off. Finally, all buttons undone, she slipped the shirt off his shoulders, being mindful of the bandage that still covered his abdomen, and resumed kissing him again.

Meanwhile, Angel undid the zipper at the back of her dress. Buffy moved to slip out of it, and it fell in a puddle of fabric at her feet. Buffy then turned her attention to the zipper on Angel's pants. Angel assisted, shucking the pants off. He kicked his shoes off. Buffy had already slipped out of hers.

Now that they had gotten most of the annoying barriers out of the way, Angel backed Buffy onto the edge of the bed and covered his mouth with hers again. At the same time, his hands moved to unclasp her bra. He felt proud of his multitasking skills.

The bra was flung to the floor next to the rest of their clothing. Buffy smiled at Angel as she lifted her hips, then watched as Angel slid her panties down her legs. Within seconds, he divested himself of his own remaining clothing, then returned to Buffy's arms.

There was nothing stopping them now. No curse. No immortality. No ex-lovers. And more importantly, no clothes. Not wanting to wait any longer, Angel swiftly buried himself inside her.

He paused for a moment as Buffy touched his face and smiled at him. "I've dreamed of this for so long, Angel."

So had Angel, but he was unable to articulate any words right now as they began to move together. They continued that way for a while, straining together towards a mutually satisfying conclusion. He desperately tried to hold back, wanting to prolong this moment as long as possible. But when Buffy cried out, it was his undoing. He quickened his pace until he felt his own release, then collapsed on the bed next to her.

"Wow," Buffy said. Her breathing was labored.

"Yeah," Angel agreed, struggling to catch his own breath.

The street lights outside Buffy's window filtered into her bedroom, casting an orange glow in the room. Angel stared up at the ceiling, then heard the tick of the A/C clicking on. Shortly after, a wave of blessedly cool air drifted down onto his sweaty body.

"So much for taking it slow," he said, then turned to look at Buffy.

Buffy laughed. Her expression then grew serious as she inched closer to Angel, her face inches from his. "I was wrong when I said we should take it slow. Life is short. We should be making up for lost time instead."

"Agreed."

Buffy leaned into him and they kissed.

"There is one thing though that rushing into things made me forget," Angel said.

Buffy stared at him with a confused expression. "What's that?"

"We didn't use any…" Angel left the sentence unfinished, but Buffy understood what he was referring to.

"Condoms."

"Yeah. I've never had to worry about that before. Being a vampire…"

"I forgot too. But it's okay." Buffy moved her hand to his cheek and held his face in her palm. "Having your baby wouldn't exactly be the end of the world. I kind of like the idea to be honest."

Angel smiled. "I can actually give that to you someday."

"I didn't even know I wanted children until now. Although we should probably get those condoms tomorrow. I'm not in a hurry for parenthood."

Angel gave her a concerned look. "So you think we should hold off on doing this again until we do?"

"Hell, no!" Buffy said with a laugh.

"Good." Angel then moved until he was hovering over her.

Buffy looked down at where their bodies were touching, then back at him and grinned. "You're already ready to go again? That was fast!"

"Just making up for lost time," he replied, grinning back.

Sunlight filtered into the room through the blinds, and Buffy opened her eyes. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table and wasn't surprised to see that she had slept way later than usual. She and Angel were tired. Several times during the night, they had awoken to make love again. Yes, they were definitely making up for lost time.

Buffy looked beside her and smiled as Angel slept. She worried that maybe she had worn him out last night, and with all the walking he had done and recovering from his illness, he must be exhausted. Buffy decided to let him sleep. She was getting pretty hungry too. Perhaps she would scrounge up some breakfast for them.

She felt a chill from her lack of clothing as she slipped out of bed, so she grabbed her robe to wrap up. When she turned around, she saw Angel staring at her with sleepy, half-opened eyes.

Buffy moved until her face was inches from his. She kissed him, then pulled back to smile at him. "Good morning."

"Good morning."

Buffy kissed him again, then turned to move away. Angel, however, grabbed hold of her arm, preventing her from leaving. "Where are you going?"

"I thought I would make us some breakfast."

"Or we could stay in bed."

"How about breakfast in bed?"

Angel smiled. "That works."

Buffy leaned forward and kissed him again. "Go back to sleep. My scrambled eggs aren't nearly as easy to make as my spaghetti. I might be a while."

They kissed again, and Buffy slipped out of bed while Angel closed his eyes again.

As she made her way to the door, she paused. A fleeting thought entered her mind. This wasn't a dream, was it? Buffy turned around and saw that no, it wasn't a dream. Angel was in fact still in her bed. He rolled over and threw his arm over his face, apparently already back to sleep.

She smiled as she watched him sleep for a few more moments, and for the first time in a long time, she realized that she no longer felt lonely.

Buffy walked back into the bedroom, her arms laden with a full breakfast tray. Angel was awake and sitting in bed. He smiled at her when he saw her.

"Okay, breakfast is served." Buffy glanced at the clock. "Or, maybe I should call it brunch."

"Whatever you call it, it smells delicious."

"That's the bacon." Buffy carefully placed the tray on the bed, being mindful not to spill the two glasses of orange juice. "And with the bacon, we've got scrambled eggs, French toast, and…" Buffy reached for a strawberry in a bowl, dipped it in whip cream, and held it to Angel's mouth. "For your sweet tooth."

Angel bit into the strawberry and moaned in satisfaction. "Delicious," he mumbled.

"I don't know about you, but I'm starved." Buffy reached for a strip of bacon and began wolfing it down.

"It's all the calories you burned during the night," Angel said as he helped himself to some of the bacon as well.

"Don't you mean 'we burned'?"

Angel smiled at her with a full mouth.

"How is it? I still can't get over seeing you eat human food."

Angel swallowed, then reached for another strip. "It tastes as good as it smells. I'm famished."

"Maybe less talking, more eating?" Buffy suggested as she reached for her fork.

Angel nodded in agreement, his mouth full again.

The food was gone in less than ten minutes, save for one ripe berry left in the bowl. Angel picked it up, dipped it in the whip cream, then held it to Buffy's mouth. "Your turn."

Buffy smiled, then bit into the strawberry. As she chewed, Angel moved closer and kissed her. When he pulled away, there was laughter in his eyes. "You had a little whip cream on your lip."

"Sure," Buffy said, not believing him, but she didn't have any complaints about the kiss.

Angel let out a contented sigh, then leaned back against his pillow. "I think I could get used to this. Being human."

Buffy picked up the tray, then moved it to the nightstand where it would be out of the way. "So, what do you want to do today?"

Angel smiled. "What do you want to do today?"

"Well…do you want to take a shower?" She grinned at him wickedly, implying he wouldn't be showering alone.

Angel nodded. "Yes, but in a little while."

"Do you still want to see more of Rome?"

"Sure, we could do that."

Buffy undid her robe and slipped it off her shoulders, revealing herself to him. She gave him a wicked smile. "Or…would you rather just see more of me?"

Underneath the sheets, Angel's arousal was evident. "Rome can wait. It's not going anywhere."

Buffy laughed, pulled the sheet back, then straddled Angel and fell into his arms.