Title: Missing

Author: Neamh1

Disclaimer: Not mine

AN: Thanks for all the great feedback that everyone has left for this story, you're all great and i hope you enjoy this last chapter and check out my other stories. Thanks again.

The next day Liam phoned Terry at the studio and told him that both he and Buffy would be in work the next day. Terry had told Liam that if they needed more time it would be fine but Buffy had insisted on getting her life back on track.

She spoke with her parents and told them that she was planning on moving in with Liam. They were both concerned that Buffy and Liam had decided to take such a big step so soon but Buffy assured them that she was ready and it was what she wanted. They couldn't argue with her and so that day was spent moving Buffy's thing from her house to Liam's.

That night Buffy's parents headed home but not before making Buffy and Liam promise that they would both come and visit that weekend and stay over for the Saturday night until after Sunday dinner.

They waved off Buffy's parents and then went back inside their house, Liam locked the door behind them and they both went upstairs to bed.

"I really liked your parents Buffy. I have to admit, I was a little nervous about meeting them, especially under the circumstances but they are so approachable and they care for you so much." Liam said whilst they sat cuddled together in bed watching TV. "I'd like to ask you something if you don't mind?" he said and Buffy sat up to look at him properly.

"Would you like to come and visit my family with me for the weekend in September? It will be my dad's birthday and the whole family gathers at my parent's house to celebrate. It would be really great if you would come with me." Liam asked her hoping that she would say yes.

"I'd love to, you've met my parents, and it's only fair that I should meet yours." Buffy said and Liam could see the love and warmth shinning through in her eyes. "Do you think they'll like me?" she asked

"They'll love you Buffy, just as much as I do, though not in the same way." He said smiling.

"Oh? And what way do you love me?" she asked mischievously.

"Let me give you a demonstration." Liam said bringing his lips down to hers as he rolled on top of her in their bed.

Buffy and Liam, as promised, went to Sunnydale to visit her parents that weekend. They finished work on the Saturday and drove straight to Sunnydale. When they arrived at was nearly eight and Joyce took them both straight upstairs to Buffy's room. She wasn't keen on the idea of them both staying in the same room but it seemed pointless to have them separated when they were living together. On Sunday morning Buffy and Liam went around to Willow and Tara's so that Buffy could introduce them. They spent most of the morning there and then Liam took Buffy shopping in the afternoon. Whilst out shopping Buffy saw a beautiful cashmere coat but she refused to buy it because the price was so expensive. She had always believed in looking after one's money and the price of the coat was simply way too much for her conscience. Whilst she had been buying the dessert for the meal Joyce was cooking everyone, Liam went back into the shop and brought the coat for her.

"What's in that bag?" she asked him suspiciously when she came out with the chocolate cake in a box.

"A present for the woman I love." Liam replied and took the cake from Buffy handing her the bag. She opened it and saw the coat inside.

"Oh Liam…" she said shaking her head at him as she pulled the coat out.

"Don't say anything, I saw how you looked at it and I know you want it. Buffy I would give you anything and I want to give you everything. Starting with this." He said smiling to her as she put on the coat feeling the softness of the material against her cheek. It fit her perfectly and she leaned up to Liam and gave him a kiss.

"I love you so much." She said, taking his hand as they walked out of the mall and back to the car.

Joyce had cooked a huge Sunday meal and invited Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya around.

When Buffy and Liam arrived everyone else was already there, whilst Liam went in the kitchen to take the cake to Joyce, the girls fussed over Buffy's new coat.

Everyone sat in the living room whilst Joyce finished preparing the food and the table, the topic of conversation unsurprisingly was Liam and other than Xanders overprotective comments regarding their 'rushed into relationship' the evening was great.

Willow was really pleased that Buffy had met someone who seemed to care so much for her. Before Buffy and Liam left for L.A. Liam had told her fiends that they were welcome to come and visit him and Buffy any time they wanted. This seemed to please both Buffy and her friends as they gave each other hugs and kisses saying their goodbyes.

The next week Liam had told Buffy that he was going to see Angelus in hospital; it was his way of saying goodbye and trying to move on. Buffy had insisted on going with him and after trying to persuade her otherwise Liam gave up and agreed that they would go together after work on the Wednesday. They arrived at the hospital and the nurse directed them to the room he was in. Buffy told Liam to go on in and she would join him when she got up the nerve. Liam had been in there for ten minutes when he heard the door open and Buffy appeared. She smiled slightly to him and joined him, Angelus looked terrible. He was extremely pale and there were wires and tubes everywhere, the faint bleeping of the heart monitor plagued Buffy's mind as she stood and looked at him. After some time she felt Liam squeeze her hand. "You ready to leave?" he asked.

"In a minute." She replied and Liam told her that he would wait outside for her. When he closed the door Buffy took a step closer to Angelus' bed.

She touched his hand gently, she felt really bad for him, in his own way he really did care for her but his reasoning was just too twisted.

"Goodbye Angelus." She said and walked out of the hospital room.

Life for Buffy and Liam went really well from that point onwards, they didn't hear any more from Darla which both were happy about. Buffy had read somewhere that she had gone off and got engaged to someone but the news wasn't important to them.

In September Liam took Buffy to meet with his family for his father's birthday, Buffy had already met his father when he had come to stay with them for a weekend whilst visiting Angelus who had still to awake from his coma.

The whole family had gathered at Liam's parent's home in Louisiana and Buffy met Liam's younger sister Melanie and Liam's two older brothers Pete and Graham and their wives and children. It had been really special and everyone made Buffy feel like part of the family. Buffy and Liam were invited for Christmas and agreed to be there for the whole of the Christmas holidays.

Buffy's parents had made them agree to spend New Years with them in Sunnydale and so the main holidays of the year had been planned out for them.

By late October Buffy had signed a contract with Liam for them both to be playing in the next season of their show. It had taken off and was extremely popular and Buffy had never had so much money in her life. She hadn't much to spend it on and so chose to save most but every month she would buy a gift for Liam, it was her way of showing him how much she loved him. Liam in turn brought Buffy gifts but his came more often and Buffy was always amazed at the thoughtfulness behind them.
It was late on a Friday afternoon when Buffy was getting ready from her shower after work when the phone rang. Liam was still out buying groceries for their meal that he was going to cook that night. Buffy dashed to the phone trying to keep her towel wrapped securely around her body at the same time.

"Hello?...No I'm sorry he's not here, can I take a message?...this is his girlfriend…o-okay…I er…I'll tell him, t-thank you." Buffy slowly replaced the receiver and sat on the bed.

She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there and she hadn't even noticed Liam come into the room until he gentle shook her arms.

"Buffy, sweetheart what's wrong?" he asked, it had worried him to come in and find her like that. After touching her arms and feeling how cold she was he realised that she must have been sitting there for some time. He grabbed the comforter off the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Buffy please tell me what's wrong." He said again and she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"He's awake Liam." She said, and a single tear slipped down her cheek.

The End…

AN: but don't worry there will be a sequel to come soon...Thanks for reading