TITLE: It's The End of the World as we know It.
AUTHOR: Kim
E-MAIL: [email protected].
DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, I don't want them, they make me cry
too much. Joss and his people do the owning thing
SPOILERS: Everything, just to be on the safe side.
TIMELINE: S5/S2 Mid season. Joyce is still alive and Angel is having his break down
FEEDBACK: Please.
RATING: R or 15 for the UK.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: AU fic.. What if the end of days was something quite unexpected?
DEDICATION: To the B/A Shippers hanging on by the skin of their teeth.. These are really dark days.


It's The End of the World as We Know It.


Murphy's Law...
If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong.



Buffy Summers slowly made her way up to the top of the hill, when she reached the green summit instead of gazing down at the town spread out below her, she cast her eyes up, far into the dark evening sky and the heavens beyond.

Positioned on the highest point of Sunnydale, the small blonde slayer stood motionless, her troubled mind deep in reflection as the infinite sky above her grew even darker. Then gradually, one by one, tiny specks of brilliance appeared and punctuated the darkness with flickering silver light. The sliver of a new moon merged into the picture only adding to its beauty.

But nothing this good lasts forever....

Buffy had made this journey every night now for a week, every night since the news had first been broken that nothing more could be done. At first, she had stood alone in total disbelief, then as the hours passed and the sunset was replaced with the dawn, Buffy's mood changed to anger. It was only after the fourth sleepless night that she finally settled with acceptance.

**After all, what other choice was there? **

A cool autumn breeze wound its' way around Buffy's shoulders but she paid it no attention, catching a chill was the least of her problems.

The hillside she was drawn to stand on each night held a multitude of memories for the troubled slayer. But a memory of a dark haired vampire with deep soulful eyes wasn't the reason for her nightly vigil. As heartbreaking as those memories were, even that fateful Christmas and its miraculous snowfall had been pushed aside this week.

Buffy Summers had far more pressing issues to deal with at that precise moment in time. An ill-fated love affair hardly mattered when you compared it to recent events.

Allowing her tired hazel eyes to drift down to the town below, Buffy thought long and hard about Sunnydale, the place she had come to consider her home.

There, amongst the flickering lights was the high school, or the ruins at least. That was where she had first encountered Xander and Willow and cemented a life long friendship. With her thoughts still at the high school, Buffy remembered the library and training with a stuffy British watcher whom she now loved more than any second rate father. Looking to her left, she saw the Bronze, a place where she had danced and flirted and broken hearts on more than one occasion. Her eyes continued their sweep and took in the Sun cinema with its misleading films about food, a coffee shop, a magic shop and last but not least, hidden in the darkened corners, the many cemeteries that covered the small town. Cemeteries filled with vampires and fighting as well as stolen kisses and long lost dreams.

**Good old Sunnydale, heaven on a hell mouth** the thought almost made her smile for the first time in a week

Buffy had so many memories wrapped up in that small community. How many times had she risked her life to save one of its' inhabitants? How many nights had she and the Scooby gang fought yet another threat to end the world?

**And what has it all been for?** she asked herself sarcastically without really caring to know the answer. If the answer were *nothing* it really would be too hard to swallow.

After all these years of fighting endless demons and vampires it seemed so unfitting that it should all come to an end like this.

Returning her gaze to the sky above, Buffy's eyes easily picked out the brightest star on the horizon. Only this star wasn't to be wished on...or maybe it was. Maybe wishing was all the world had left.

The star in question burned brightly in the vast night's sky, trailing its gleaming tail behind it. It looked so incredibly beautiful, illuminating the darkened heavens. So small, so innocent, so unbelievably deadly.

**Had it really been only seven days since the world had been informed that Armageddon was heading their way?**

Armageddon... For years now, Buffy and her friends had been preparing for this day, planning its execution and their subsequent victory, but when it finally arrived, it caught them all by surprise. The end of days wasn't supposed to be like this. It should have involved a hell mouth opening its jaws and howling in the cool night's breeze. But this weapon of destruction didn't howl it twinkled in the heavens and danced in the clear night's sky.

The end of the world.... This time it wasn't in the form of a prophecy. It wasn't a master vampire or even a delusional power hungry Mayor. This ending came in the guise of a massive chunk of left over star, millions of years old and hell bent on colliding with the green and blue planet.

The four horsemen of the Apocalypse had ridden through the world but, sadly, nobody had seen them in time. And if they had, they were keeping it very quiet. Of course, the government knew, they had to have known months, if not years, earlier. It was possible they believed it would change direction long before it became a problem, but it hadn't. So, unlike in the movies, this time there was no space ship that could fly off and save the day, no action man that would die for the world. No, the only defences this planet had were a few large rockets and one week ago they had bounced off the meteorite with hardly a scratch. The largest firework display in the history of mankind had lit up the sky in spectacular fashion, letting the cat well and truly out of the bag

And so it came to pass that seven long days ago the planet's population had discovered the cold hard truth.

It really was the end of the world.

God help them all, because at that point nobody else could.

"It's still so hard to believe that a small twinkle in the sky is really the end." Buffy whispered softly into the cool night air. She immediately felt a warm hand close around her fingers and reassuringly squeeze her hand.

"I knew I'd find you here, the rest of the gang are really worried about you" Buffy's best friend gently squeezed her hand again.

Turning her gaze towards the destruction that was heading their way, Willow sighed deeply

"If I had to take a wild guess, I would have gone for another hell mouth opening, or maybe a plague, or even a vampire with a death wish. I just didn't imagine a great chunk of floating rock." Willow spoke out without thinking; she only realised her slip when she felt Buffy's hand tremble slightly.

"I feel so helpless, Will. I can fight all those other things, not only can I fight them but I can beat them...But this" Buffy's eyes took in the approaching object and she felt her heart sink.

" I can't stake a ten mile meteorite" she replied realistically. For once, all of her Slayer powers meant nothing

Buffy then had a thought; she turned to her friend with the first look of hope in days.

"Magic! What about a spell?" Buffy's eyes lit up at the prospect.

Willow sadly shook her head, she hated to kill that look of hope but she had no choice

" There's not enough magic in the world to make it go *poof*, I've tried". Willow had spent hours with Tara going over every spell book they could find only to discover that magic wouldn't help them.

"Maybe we should just wish on it after all " Buffy sighed with a heavy heart. She of all people knew how fruitless wishes were. Nobody had every listened to Buffy Summers wishes before, and in all honestly, she couldn't see them starting now.

**Besides, it would take a lot more than a wish this time; it would take a miracle.**

Buffy had never felt so powerless in all her young life, she was so used to saving the world that being this helpless was driving her nuts. How was she supposed to just stand back and watch it all end?

"Maybe we should go and kill some bad guys, you always feel better after that" Willow tried her hardest to support her friend even though she was almost falling apart herself.

It wasn't just Willow; the whole world was falling apart or hiding under their beds in complete denial.

"Have you even seen a bad guy in the last few days? They've all gone underground. Willow, the demons will be all that's left on this planet once that rock hits, human life will be extinct but the demons will survive. Well, most of them. If they can get low enough they should be perfectly safe. Looks like the bad guys won after all."

Buffy looked away from the bright light and hugged her friend. She felt Willow tremble in her arms and knew her friend's resolve to be strong was weakening by the hour.

"Are you frightened?" Buffy asked for the first time gently stroking the redhead's hair.

"Yes, terrified. You?" Willow admitted, seeing no point in denying her fear any longer.

Buffy considered the question carefully and when she replied, the answer she gave came straight from the heart.

"Strangely, no. I guess I always expected to die young. I've already done it once and it wasn't too bad" she tried to make a joke of the question, but Buffy could tell that her closest friend wasn't buying it.

"Okay, I just thought it would be a vampire that took me down, not the tidal wave that will cover Sunnydale twenty minutes after that thing hits "

"So, where do you intend to be, I mean on the last day?" Willow stepped back and looked closely at her friend. She envied Buffy's attitude and yet she also couldn't help feeling that if the Slayer had more in her life, she might have felt stronger about losing it. That was the whole trouble, Buffy's life was so full and yet so empty at the same time. As much as Willow hated the thought, Buffy's life had been like that for a long time.

Buffy considered the question carefully, she knew that she had been pushing the thought to the back of her mind, hoping for that miracle.

"Good question. I know I should be with mom and Dawn, but then there's Giles and you guys to consider." Buffy sighed with deep regret " Maybe I'll just stand here on my own" she replied again after reflection.

"What about Riley, has he called yet?"

At the sound of her ex boyfriend's name, Buffy frowned and shook her head sadly.

" I thought he might have called when the news first broke, but I think he's probably busy, keeping the peace and all that. There's a lot of panic-stricken people out there and the army has their hands full. No, Riley's gone and actually I've accepted that. There's no *Honey* for Buffy when the world goes black"

For a while a silence stood between the two girls, both fighting with their own memories. Both girls had loved and lost their first love and both appeared to have moved on.

" Have you tried to speak to Angel?" Willow was uncertain if the subject should be broached, but what did it matter now in the grand scheme of things.

For a split second Buffy's eye's filled with Angel pain and then just as quickly they covered the slip with denial.
"Why on earth would I want to talk to Angel? I'm sure he has enough going down at the moment." The reply was too quick and too cold to be natural.

Willow understood where the pain came from only too well. For months now Buffy had been cutting Angel out of her life and out of her heart, slowly replacing him with Riley. It wasn't that Riley had been a bad thing, but it had never been enough, not for either of them. And now that Riley had also left, the original pain of losing Angel had returned and left Buffy bitter and confused all over again.

In normal circumstances Willow would have taken her time and worked slowly on showing Buffy where the real pain lay, but these were hardly normal times and with death staring them straight in the face, there was no time left for pretence"

"Maybe you should say goodbye. It's your last chance Buffy" Willow looked up and tried a small grin. As much as she had wanted her friend to have a happy normal life with Riley, she now knew that dream was no longer important. So, if Buffy couldn't have normal, there was no reason why she shouldn't have bliss for her last few hours. Buffy slipped a loose strand of hair behind her ear; she took one last look at the sky and then turned her back. Starting to walk away Buffy quietly replied.

" I can't do that, It's too late, it's far too late." She shook her head as she continued to walk but secretly her heart jumped at the prospect.

"Its never too late Buffy, not while there's one second left to breathe" Willow called after the stubborn girl and ran to catch her up. Reaching out, she grabbed Buffy's arm and spun her around.

"As long as you're alive it's never too late"

Buffy slowly nodded, she then let the truth fill her bruised and battered heart. She really did need to see Angel; she needed to say goodbye.

******


With Willow's words still ringing in her head, Buffy threw all caution to the wind and headed off to L.A. The journey was extremely difficult; the freeways were filled with traffic all heading nowhere fast. Buffy watched the confused and frightened faces that she passed with sadness and sympathy. So many people still refused to accept the inevitable; they were still trying so desperately to find some kind of escape. But how do you escape a global killer, where do you run to when there's nowhere left to hide.

Knowing that if she told her mother or Giles where she intended to go they would stop her, Buffy slipped out of her bedroom window before the next sunrise. She left her mother a note explaining where she was going and promised that she would try and return before the final hour.

Buffy knew it would be almost impossible to keep that promise but she would try. Her mother wouldn't be alone, she had Dawn and Giles and that thought made the Slayer slightly happier about her decision.

The jeep that she *borrowed* for the journey was totally trashed by the time the Slayer made LA. On finding the freeways blocked, Buffy had turned off and took to the less populated side roads. When these smaller roads became a problem, she just cut across anything that fell in her path. Buffy didn't have time to worry about the trail of damage she left in her wake, the fields of crops she plowed up would all be dead in a few days anyway.

On arriving at the old offices of Angel investigations Buffy was horrified to discover the burnt out shell that had once been Angel's home. She walked across the road and on nearer inspection she realized that this damage was far from recent.

**When did this happen and more importantly, Why didn't I know?** Buffy thought as she studied the wreckage.

**You don't know me any more** Angel's voice returned to haunt her. It was true; she didn't know him anymore. They had once been so close and now circumstances had forced a wedge between them the size of the ocean

For the first time Buffy found herself regretting her hasty decision to leave Sunnydale and all her friends. Did she really want to spend her last hours on earth with a stranger?

"You're here to say goodbye, Buffy." she forcefully reminded herself. What did it matter whose world they lived in, one thing was for sure, in a few short days both of their worlds was ending forever.

Peering closer, Buffy noticed that the wood covering the main door was loose, she pulled it slightly and slipped her small nimble body between the gap.

Inside, the devastation was incredible, it was so mangled it looked as if a bomb had gone off. Buffy slowly made her way threw the wreckage hoping to find a link to where Angel would have moved. A soft shaft of sunlight was her only guide as she stepped over destroyed volumes of demonology. There wasn't a thing in the building that hadn't been touched by fire or the subsequent rain that had poured in through the hole in the roof.

Staring at the black twisted metal, Buffy took a moment to remember the two previous visits she had made to Angel Investigations, both times she had returned to Sunnydale bitterly disappointed. It seemed that this visit was not going to be any different

She moved into what had once been an office and her heart sank even further. It was hopeless; there was simply nothing there that could help her find Angel. A slight sound caught Buffy's attention and her lightning reflexes had her spinning with stake in hand, she lunged forward but stopped short as a stray bird fluttered nervously towards the ceiling and headed for the shaft of daylight. Feeling even more dejected, Buffy closed her eyes, she concentrated harder than ever before, reaching out with her mind, but her only reward was silence.

Wherever the vampire was, he wasn't anywhere around here and probably hadn't been for a long time.

Exhausted, from the long drive and the bitter disappointment, Buffy sat down on what had probably been Cordelia's desk in its last life. She had no idea where to look next. Running her hands through her long blonde hair the slayer was close to tears.

She cursed herself for not staying in Sunnydale with her family and friends, this ridiculous idea to find Angel was yet another massive mistake in the joke that had become their relationship.

**So get off your ass and look for him. What else have you got to do?** Buffy angrily told herself. On that thought, she left the burnt out building and walked back into the street

"Good grief, Buffy. What on earth are you doing here?" a familiar British voice asked as the Slayer readjusted her eyes to the bright morning sun.

Buffy looked up and came face to face with her ex watcher.

"Wesley! Thank God. I'm looking for Angel" Buffy smiled with relief and genuine pleasure at seeing the familiar face.

"Well if I was you, I'd turn right back for Sunnydale this very minute, the Angel you knew doesn't exist anymore" Wesley replied sadly

"What do you mean?" Buffy was almost too afraid to ask. The look of pain that reflected in the other man's eyes had frightened her more than she wanted to admit. One moment she was feeling jubilation and now the complete opposite flooded her veins

Wesley stated his explanation. His tired eyes darkened as the events in his mind slipped over his tongue.

" A lot has happened in the last few months, things you have no knowledge of because that's how Angel wanted it." Wesley wished he could spare the small girl the pain that he knew she would no doubt suffer.

"Recent events have, shall we say, changed Angel and sadly not for the better. He was already on a downward spiral, but I think this meteorite was the final straw. Angel has fallen into the darkness, Buffy. There's a dark shadow covering his soul. " As Wesley finished, he took the difficult decision not to tell her about Darla and Drusilla. Wesley hoped Buffy would never find out about that part of Angel's downfall.

" I still have to find him" The look in Buffy's eyes told Wesley that the she wouldn't be put off by anything. He should have remembered that when a Slayer's mind was set there really was no chance of changing it.

"I understand, Buffy. I still remember what he once meant to you...I'm sorry. " Wesley nodded, he started to move away but turned and pulled the startled girl into a tight embrace.

"Look after yourself " he whispered sincerely, then feeling a little embarrassed by his sudden show of emotion; Wesley dropped his arms to his sides and stepped back.

"What are you going to do now?" Buffy asked feeling a new respect for the man who had become one of Angel's closest friends and now looked totally lost and alone.

"I'm not sure, I wanted to have one last look around here and then I'll go somewhere quiet. "

"What about Cordelia?"

"Gunn persuaded her to try for higher ground, they left yesterday. They both know it makes no difference in the long run but it gives them something to do." Wesley smiled sadly as he remembered hugging his friends and wishing them success in their journey. They made promises to meet up later even though all three of them accepted that they would never see each other again.

"Why didn't you go with them?" Buffy hated the thought of Wesley being so alone. At a time like this nobody should be alone.

"I guess I'm basically still a coward, Buffy. Those that escape the tidal wave will choke to death in the dust and the darkness that will follow. It will be a long slow process. The wave will be over before we get a chance to think about it." Wesley turned and started to walk inside the building that was once known as Angel Investigations. Inside, he knew he would be able to lose himself to memories of happier times. Times when he had felt truly alive and accepted. Without turning back, he spoke to Buffy one last time.

"The Hyperion Hotel...That's where you will find him" Wesley then disappeared into the building.


*****

Buffy walked into the entrance of the hotel and couldn't help being impressed.

**Angel had come up in the world,** she thought as her eyes swept over the magnificence of his new home.

Her small heels were the only sound that broke the stillness as she slowly ventured deeper inside the building, After the conversation with Wesley; Buffy was on full slayer alertness. Although Wesley had refused to go into real detail, Buffy knew that she had to prepare herself for a change in the man that she had once loved. Whatever this darkness was that had caught Angel up in its web, Buffy knew she would have to face it.

Willow had been right, she needed closure. If she didn't face Angel and make her peace her soul would spend all eternity regretting it

Buffy closed her eyes and reached into her heart. She allowed the tingling sensation that always foretold of Angel's presence to rise from its prison and wash over her. Yes, Angel was close.

Taking the stairs two at a time the Slayer changed pace in a sudden need to confront her ex lover one last time. She made her way along the small corridors until at last the sensation that was only ever Angel drew her towards the right room. Her small hand curled into a fist and knocked gently on the door, then without waiting another second Buffy walked in.

Once inside, Buffy was caught unaware for a moment, the room was pitch black cutting off all that was harmful to the vampire that occupied it. Buffy adjusted her eyes to the blackness and with the help from the light in the hallway her vision improved. The room was completely silent apart from Buffy's own breathing. If she hadn't known any better, she would have sworn that she was the only person there but, of course, she did know better. Buffy approached the bed in the corner of the room with slight hesitation, as her small steps brought her closer she caught her breath at the sight of an almost naked Angel spread out across the dark sheets. His pale body was completely still, imitating the sleep of the dead.

Her thirsty eyes drank in the sight of him. The contrast of long dark lashes on pale white skin, his strong nose and exquisite cheekbones, not to mention his blood red mouth, were a sight Buffy feared she would never see again.

Angel had always been beautiful in her eyes but, as Buffy took another step forward, she immediately noticed the difference in his shape. The well-defined muscles beneath his ivory skin were at their peak of physical perfection. His once familiar body was now amazingly new; her fingers longed to trail over his taut flesh and reacquaint themselves with the cool feel that Buffy had never quite been able to forget.


Her gaze swept over his broad chest. She let her eyes linger slightly on his flat coppery nipples before continuing their journey down, passed his hard flat stomach and finally stopping on the faint line of dark hair that disappointingly disappeared beneath a tangled sheet wrapped around his lean hips.

Buffy stood hypnotised watching for some sign of movement. For some reason, she found herself wishing with all of her heart that his chest would rise and fall as it took breath.

"What are you doing here, Buffy?" Angel's voice asked with what sounded like a hint of annoyance. He opened his eyes and slowly sat up not caring that the sheet had slipped, revealing even more of his body. Buffy swallowed hard and fought to keep her eyes above his waistline. It wasn't easy.

" Haven't you been reading the newspapers, Angel? It's the end of the world" Buffy kept her voice remarkably calm.

"Only for humans, the demons will survive. Although I'm not too sure about vampires, I guess we'll get kinda hungry after a while, once the bodies have all gone" Angel shrugged his shoulders without showing any real concern. He ran his hands across his tired face and up into his hair. Angel was long past exhaustion; his mind, body and soul felt fatigued beyond imagination.

Buffy was horrified at the change in the man before her. She could feel the dark side of his nature rising against the light. It was as if the demon was slowly suffocating the soul and Angel was making no attempt to fight it.

"What on earth happened to you?" she asked, trying to look into his eyes. Buffy needed to be sure that Angelus hadn't taken residence again. She felt her fingers move unconsciously towards her jacket pocket and the stake she always carried.

Angel sighed; his face took on a blank look as if an explanation was simply too much trouble.

Buffy recognised the telltale brooding and relaxed her fingers on the stake. The soul sitting on the bed wasn't evil, just defeated.

"It's a long story but if you want the cliff notes version, Darla and Drusilla."

"Darla's dead" Buffy whispered in disbelief. A vision of Angel's Sire turning to dust in the Bronze flashed before her.

"Not any more, like I said it's a long story. Darla was brought back as a human but Dru turned her again. She needed me and I failed to help her"

Buffy heard deep resentment as well as pain in Angel's troubled voice, she finally understood a little of the darkness Wesley had been talking about. Moving to the edge of the bed she reached out her small hand and placed it lightly on Angel's bare arm. Angel didn't move he just continued to stare ahead.

"It all started with this scroll" Without looking at her, Angel started to recall all the events of the last few months. Slowly, the floodgates opened and he found himself telling Buffy things he had buried deep inside. Buffy stood quietly listening as Angel unburdened his soul.

"Why didn't you call me, I could have helped?" she asked when the vampire sank back into silence. Buffy fought to keep the hurt she felt from showing as she squeezed his cold arm.

"We were in different places, Buffy. You had Riley and slaying and I had........" Angel trailed off.

"You were in trouble, Angel. You should have called me, I could have helped you" Buffy found his last statement more hurtful than any thing he had said so far. The thought that they had drifted so far apart, in such a short amount of time, troubled her deeply.

"I simply don't care anymore." Angel pulled his arm away from her grip and stood up.

"Buffy, go home, go back to your family, spend the last few days with that lover of yours" Angel finally looked into her face and Buffy shivered when she saw the emptiness in his beautiful eyes.

" I really don't want you here " he finished with no emotion.

Buffy stood perfectly still as a rage started to build in the pit of her stomach.

"And what about what I want?" she demanded, as the anger boiled past the surface. " Or does that still not matter to you?"

Angel shook his head

" That's not fair I always put you first" he defended quickly.

** Hadn't he walked away from every drop of happiness he had ever known just so she would have a happy life**

"I know" Buffy lost some of the anger she was feeling. It was true; Angel had always put her needs above his own. The only trouble was, he had never asked her what her needs really were. If he had just stopped to listen he would have understood that all she really needed was him.

"Angel? None of it matters any more; it's over as soon as that rock hits " she took a small step forward

Buffy couldn't possibly have known how that simple statement would effect Angel. His face seemed to age as he fought a new wave of bitterness.

"I tried so hard to save you, Buffy. But they lied to me, I gave it all up for nothing" Although he seemed to be looking straight at her, Buffy was under the impression that Angel's eyes were somewhere else.

"All these months I could have been human, we could have been together, making love, eating peanut butter and chocolate" Angel half smiled as if reliving a precious moment. At that point, the Slayer started to really worry about the vampire's sanity. From her perspective, Angel was losing it all over again.

"Angel?" her small voice was lost as he continued to speak.

" You said it was the perfect day and it was, it really was. I know you have no idea what I'm talking about and dammit that makes it worse" Angel stopped talking when he saw how frightened Buffy looked.

" Who lied Angel?" she asked trying to humor him and keep him calm at the same time.


**Surely the first couldn't be haunting his dreams again** she worried as she faced the dejected vampire. If the first had returned, they hadn't filled her head with the memories of making love to a human Angel, Buffy thought sadly.

"The powers that be, It's all been one lie after another. They let me believe that I could save you. Then the scroll foretold that I would be human again and it was so close that I could almost touch it. I wanted so much to be alive again, Buffy." his eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment as he struggled to control his resentment.

"They said I'd be human and then they wipe out humanity. I can't find the strength to stop the darkness anymore"

Buffy reached up on tiptoes and wrapped her arms around the vampire; she was desperate to question him on the things he had said about this perfect day, but knew now wasn't the right time.

Angel gently pushed away.

"Go home, Buffy. There's still time for you to get back to Sunnydale." Angel stepped away before he gave into the overwhelming need that screamed through his veins. He couldn't let his darkness touch her, Angel promised that would to be his last gift to the young woman who had once touched his still heart. His final sacrifice.

Buffy moved forward, her large hazel eyes searching Angel's troubled face for any sign of the love that used to shine there. But no matter how hard she looked, she saw nothing but grief, pain and regret.

Drusilla, Darla, TPTB and fate had all had a hand in Angel's hard fall.

The Slayer knew one thing for sure; there was still time for a little payback.

"I'll go home, but first, let's dust a couple of vamp bitches " she smiled and handed Angel a stake. At first he hesitated, but slowly his fingers reached out and wrapped themselves around the slight weapon.

"Buffy, I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to do this" Angel whispered truthfully. When it came to pushing a stake through either woman's heart, the thought made him shiver.

Buffy smiled

"Don't worry, I was born to do this. Come on Angel" she reached out and offered her hand.

"Let's strike back...One last time?"


*****

"Wow! Neat car" Buffy grinned as they walked towards Angel's Plymouth convertible, which was conveniently parked on the shady side of the hotel.

Angel didn't speak; he just slipped a hand inside his duster pocket and pulled out a set of car keys. Buffy raised an eyebrow as Angel then proceeded to offer her the keys.

" You want me to drive? " The surprise in her voice was evident as she reached out her hand. For a split second their fingers brushed and a tiny spark tried to ignite. Angel quickly pulled away and shoved his hands deep inside his pockets.
The spark died.

" It's not as if I can sit up front, it's a little too sunny for my taste." The vampire muttered and climbed into the back seat; he then pulled a blanket over his head to fully protect himself from the sunlight. Nodding her head in agreement, Buffy quickly slid behind the wheel and turned the key in the ignition. At once the engine kicked into life and purred like a kitten.

"Right, where too?" she threw her voice over her shoulder and manoeuvred the car slowly out of the hotel grounds and onto the street.

As the car moved away from the safety of the shady hotel parking, the sunlight pierced the windows and fell hot on Buffy's skin.

"Turn left at the bottom and head down town; just keep driving until I say otherwise " Angel's muffled voice came from beneath the blanket. Buffy nodded again and followed the directions as instructed.

As she drove down the street, she immediately noticed the devastation that had claimed the city. Everywhere she looked there were signs of looting or rioting. Shops had their expensive wares strewn all over the street turning the road into an assault course.
Buffy had to swerve violently to avoid hitting a discarded television set; the front wheel of the Plymouth struck the pavement with a hard thud before returning to the road.

"Buffy! " A soft growl came from the seat behind as the vampire passenger was tossed across the seat and almost fried by a shaft of stray sunlight.

"Ooops, Sorry." Buffy apologised and swerved again as yet more household debris cluttered the road in front of her.

She continued slowly as the evidence of mass panic became more apparent. Abandoned cars, luggage and even pets were all forgotten in the mass exodus that had fallen on the city.

Even with all this evidence of panic, one thing was really starting to bother the slayer, the lack of people. On her journey down, the roads had been packed with travellers desperately fighting their way out of the city, but where were all the others that had stayed? LA had a population of over nine million and yet all the streets were bare.

"Angel?" she waited but when he made no reply Buffy continued with her question

"Where is everybody? I mean a whole city couldn't have just up and left" Buffy tried to ignore the heavy sigh that came from the back of the car. The sound was far too condescending for her liking.

**If he takes that tone with me once more he might get a sun tan after all** Buffy frowned and bit her tongue before she repeated the thought out loud.

She then waited as patiently as she could for an answer

"They're all running scared, Buffy. Some are hiding under their beds shaking in terror, while others are living in the land of denial and will until the very last second." Angel turned his head and looked towards the window before continuing.
"And then there are those who want salvation." His voice changed slightly, it was as if there wasn't a drop of sympathy
left in him.

"You will find those camped out in every church in the city, desperately trying to find the god they spent all their lives denying existed." Angel sneered as he came to the end of his explanation. He had witnessed it all before, maybe not on this scale but he had lived a long time and human fear never changed. The only difference was, this time the fear was warranted.

Buffy continued to drive in silence, after a few minutes Angel noticed her small shoulders shake slightly

"Buffy, you okay?" this time his voice was almost gentle.

Buffy nodded but Angel could tell she was upset. Reaching out his hand and risking a third degree burn he touched her back.

"Pull over here" he indicated to the right. Buffy turned the wheel and brought the car to a stop.

"What's wrong? I didn't mean to upset you " Angel asked trying to keep the concern he was starting to feel from his voice, the last thing he wanted to do was complicate matters. He had to shut out any emotion that might threaten to surface. When he looked at the girl in front of him all he would allow himself to see was the Slayer, not the sunlight that had once warmed his cold heart.

"Its not you, Angel. It's that" Buffy pointed towards the sky and the promise of death that was growing larger by the second.

"Oh, I see." Angel nodded suddenly understanding that Buffy was taking this as hard as every other human on the planet. The strength she had originally shown was a good disguise for the terror that squeezed her heart.
He cursed himself for forgetting that inside the Slayer there was also a frightened young girl facing her mortality.

"Its really coming, isn't it?" her small voice trembled slightly as she tried to overcome the wave of fear and switch back into slayer mode.

"Yes, Buffy. It really is." this was the only answer Angel knew she would accept. This was not the time for lies or even wishful thinking.

Buffy let out a deep sigh; she then pulled out the band holding back her hair and ran her hands through the long blonde tresses trying to relieve the tension that was building inside her head.



"What the hell am I doing here?" the question was more to herself then the vampire sharing the car.

"Buffy" Angel reached out to touch her hair, as it shimmered around her shoulders, but resisted the temptation and pulled back before contact was made.

Buffy turned, her large hazel eyes bright with tears.

"I'm sorry, Angel. I didn't come here to cry in front of you " she ran the back of her hand across her cheeks removing all traces of earlier tears. Buffy then berated herself for allowing him to see her cry; this weakness wasn't part of her plan.
**Kill vampires, say goodbye and get the hell home** she inwardly repeated the agenda.

Angel felt a shiver cover his soul. Only a few years ago he would have been the only person she would have felt comfortable with seeing her cry, now his very presence brought her embarrassment.

" It's funny, I always expected to face Armageddon fighting, be it the master, the mayor or even your alter ego" she reflected without considering the effect the words would have.

Angel hid the look of pain he felt at the last comment, the memory of clashing swords and the subsequent trip to hell was still painfully clear.

It was true; his alter ego had very nearly brought about Armageddon that time, all with the help of a big lump of rock,

** Wasn't that what Spike had once called Acathla?**

**It was rather ironic that a bigger lump of rock was already floating around just waiting to finish off the job.**

Angel turned back to the Slayer.

"But at least with demons I had a fighting chance" Buffy's eyes blazed with anger.
" I get so annoyed knowing that it's only the human race that's so damned. Most of the demons will walk away from this."

" We're all dammed in our own way, Buffy. Although some more than others" Angel replied quietly, their eyes locked for a moment and then Angel looked away.

Buffy nodded, understanding that if Angel survived the destruction of the meteorite he would have to face a world populated only with evil. His fight for redemption would be over.


"Come on, let's get the job finished, there's not much time left and I want to go home as soon as possible" The corners of her mouth turned in a small smile as all traces of fear left her lovely eyes. The temporary lapse was over, it wouldn't happen again

Angel swallowed hard but his face remained a blank page.

"You can go home now, Buffy. Take my car and just go. I'll take care of Darla and Drusilla" he offered without a second thought for the consequences.

Angel still wasn't sure if he really could kill the women in question. Saying it was one thing, plunging a stake into their hearts was something else. But if Buffy wanted out, now was the best time for all concerned.

Buffy shook her head

"No, this is something I also need to do. There was a reason for me coming here; I think this was it. The human race maybe on it's way out, but I intend to take as many bad guys with me as possible" she replied feeling stronger with each word.

Buffy then tied her hair back and restarted the car, with her resolve refocused on the last slaying she was ever likely to do, she turned the car back on to the road again.

Without argument, Angel sat back into the safety of his blanket and watched how the small, frightened girl became the Slayer once more, and for a moment he felt the darkness lift from his shoulders.

With nothing more to say the rest of the short drive was conducted in silence.



Twenty minutes later



"Buffy, take the next right and then head for the underground Car Park " Angel quietly instructed.

Buffy did as she was told without question. She
recognised this part of the city; she and her father had shopped here many times in her younger years. Pulling the car into the safety of the darkened car park the slayer killed the engine.
Angel threw the blanket from his shoulders.

" The mall?" Buffy asked checking that she still had her stake tucked safely in the waistband of her jeans. Mr. Pointy was safely concealed and would be ready when needed.

"This is where I last saw them, if they haven't gone underground to hide yet, this is where they'll be" Angel replied with little emotion

Buffy stopped, reaching out her hand she gently touched his arm.

"Angel, I can do this on my own if it's too difficult for you. As much as I hate them, I also know what they must mean to you"

Angel turned his head and looked straight into her eyes. Buffy couldn't help the shiver that passed down her spine as memories of Angelus returned. The dark empty pools that the demon had smiled from were almost the same as those facing her now, only the tiny flicker of a soul could be seen in their darkness.

Sensing her fear, Angel dropped his gaze and pulled away from her hand, he then turned around and continued walking.

**I know what they must mean to you** Buffy's words continued to reverberate inside his head

"I seriously doubt that" he muttered without looking back. Buffy just shook her head. It seemed the longer she spent with her ex lover the more of a stranger he became. She hoped for both their sakes that when the time came, Angel wouldn't get in her way and try and stop her. No matter what, Buffy knew that when she finally met up with Darla and Drusilla again it was going to end in either dust or blood, one way or another it really was
going to end.

*****

The Slayer and vampire continued to sweep through the mall in silence, ignoring the few humans that wandered aimlessly around them. Some were drunk but mostly they were just lost and confused, looking for answers that nobody had.




"This way" Angel indicated and moved quickly towards a large dress shop.

As they approached the entrance, Buffy's spider senses alerted her to vampires' presence inside. She stood still for a second trying to evaluate the situation. There were at least six, maybe more.

When Angel realised that Buffy had stopped, he turned and looked back

"This is it, are you really sure you want to do this?" he asked his dark eyes searching her face for any signs of uncertainty. Whatever happened next, death was certain for most of them.

Buffy smiled and holding her head high she swept passed him.

"Oh, yeah. I'm way past sure."

*****

Darla giggled as she pulled the zipper up on her new white leather pants. Ripping off the expensive price tag, she strutted down the glass counter like a super model on a Paris catwalk. On reaching the end of the line, she spun around and grinned at the room full of over fed vampires. The shop floor was littered with the corpses of their poor unfortunate victims; death for these lost souls had at least come quickly. The killing spree had started three days earlier and the demon population felt as if all their birthdays had come at once.

In all the mass confusion that followed the meteorite's discovery, nobody seemed to notice or care as the vampire community dined on an *all you can eat buffet*. The end of the world really was their greatest dream come true.

The panic, the terror, the blood.

**Could things really get any better?** Darla thought as she triumphantly scanned the carnage, her smile grew even wider at the answer **YES, they could**

"Do it again, do it again" Drusilla clapped excitedly and pushed over a large rail of expensive leather jackets, smashing a glass display cabinet in the process. The beautiful dark haired vampire reached down and pulled out a blood red jacket from the tangled mess with a childish squeal of delight.

"Ohhh! I just love this colour, it's so me" she cooed as she slipped her slender arms through the long sleeves of the jacket and revelled in the feel of the soft hide against her skin.

Darla reached over and pulled a long leather coat from the nearest antique mannequin. Slipping it on, the blonde vampire seductively swung her hips and started her catwalk all over again, much to the joy of her appreciative minions who stood by eagerly awaiting the show to end and the fun to begin.

"What do you think?" Twirling in all her finery, Darla grinned again and looked back towards Drusilla

"I think it makes you look fat" it wasn't Drusilla who answered.

Both female vampires turned at the same time and watched Buffy enter the shop closely followed by Angel.

Two of Darla's followers were dusted before they knew what hit them; Buffy's lightning reflexes left two piles of dust in place of the henchmen guarding the door.

"Oh, look who we have here. It's the cheerleader and her slightly off white knight. Hello lover" Darla purred towards Angel but never took her eyes away from the Slayer. She slowly stepped down from the counter and prepared for the attack.

Buffy took a step forward, all her attention was focused on Darla and she silently prayed that Angel really was there to watch her back.

But there was never really any doubt in the matter. Angel was already weighing up the danger and moved quickly to intercept the remaining henchmen as they approached the Slayer, he was spoiling for a fight.

Darla slowly slipped off the long leather coat, knowing that it would hinder her movement. She playfully dropped it to the floor, her eyes never once leaving Buffy's expressionless face.

"Angel's little cheerleader, the bringer of perfect happiness, come on Buffy, give us a *B*" Darla sneered as her eyes narrowed in disgust.

"Actually, I'd rather give you this" Buffy somersaulted across the room, her legs kicked out knocking a stunned Darla off her feet and onto her ass. The vampire hissed and transformed into her demonic mask, her yellow eyes blazing with years of hatred for the pathetic human who had stolen her lover's heart.

**This scrawny little Bitch had been a thorn in her side for far too long.** Once she was dead, Darla knew that Angelus would return to his family.

"You really don't get any prettier, do you" Buffy quipped at the
transformation and punched her fist into the demon's face. Darla lip split with the force of the punch but she quickly retaliated.

"Why can't you be a good little human and go find a hole to crawl into, just like the rest of your friends" Darla laughed knowing that she had hit a raw nerve, Buffy failed to keep the pain she felt from reflecting in her eyes.

Darla took full advantage of the pain, grabbing hold of Buffy's head; she smashed it straight into a large display counter. Glass and costume jewellery flew in all direction as Buffy quickly recovered, she felt a shard of jagged glass slice into the flesh just above her right eye, but made no attempt to wipe the blood that dripped from the wound.

"I'd offer to turn you into one of us but you're far too poisonous for our blood line" The vampire's hungry eyes took in the line of blood that ran slowly down the Slayer's face and licked her lips.

"You really think I'd want you for a Sire?" Buffy laughed. Springing forward, she plunged her stake towards Darla, the vampire twisted just in time for the stake to embed itself in the middle of her stomach.

"Sorry, still not the heart. You'd think your aim might have improved after all this time " Darla laughed shaking her head. She backhanded the Slayer across the face and sent her reeling backward into the central clothing display. Darla then pulled the wooden stake from her stomach and tossed it over her shoulder. Seeing that Buffy was now defenceless and slightly dazed she moved menacingly towards her enemy.

Buffy pulled herself to her feet and stood her ground, she patiently bided her time as the grinning vampire stalked even closer. When Darla was only a foot away, Buffy snapped the wooden arm off one of the shattered antique mannequins and speared Darla right through the heart. The startled vampire
only had time to gasp in surprise before turning to dust.

After the roar of the dusting the room fell deadly silent. Buffy cast her eyes down towards the pool of dust now lying on the floor at her feet

" And this time, don't come back " she muttered as she kicked her foot through the dirt in disgust. "Loser" the slayer in her couldn't resist the last dig.

The sound of another dusting then caught her attention and Buffy spun to see Angel finishing off the last of Darla's minions. He then grabbed a terrified Drusilla and pinned her up against the wall. Raising his stake for the final strike, Angel seemed almost trance like in his need to destroy the last remaining vampire in the room. He fought desperately not to focus on the fact that this woman was also his childe and his greatest crime.


"Angel, Wait!" Buffy urgently called out and moving through the remains of Darla's ashes, crossed the shop floor.

Angel hesitated mid strike but continued to pin the struggling woman against the wall

"Let her go" Buffy's voice was surprisingly calm considering the battle she had just fought. Both vampires looked up on hearing her command, each in their own confusion

"Buffy?" Angel's tired eyes sought the Slayer for some kind of
explanation. The last thing he needed was time to consider what he was doing. Angel just wanted it over.

Buffy looked into Drusilla's insane face and tried to hold her gaze. The vampire was whimpering in terror after seeing her grand sire slaughtered and, even in her crazy mind, she had enough sense to know a similar fate now awaited her.

" Have you see that big ball in the sky?" Buffy asked watching the vampire tremble in fear

Drusilla shook her mane of long dark hair not answering the question in one way or another.

"There's terrible confusion, all the stars are talking at once" she
mumbled softly and turned her head towards Angel, still refusing to believe that her sire would really kill her

Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Well, let me translate for you. That big sparkly one up there is saying goodnight sweetheart. It's also saying that somewhere down the road there is a very lonely, extremely annoying" at this point Buffy actually smiled much to Angel's confusion.

She then took a deep breath and continued in a way even Drusilla couldn't fail to understand

"It's saying that Spike is all on his own, maybe you should go find him and say goodbye" Buffy offered the girl a lifeline and hoped that she would take it, maybe for Spike's sake more than Drusilla's.

Angel dropped his hands but continued to watch Drusilla's every movement.

"Are you sure about this, Buffy?" he still couldn't believe what the Slayer was suggesting. She had staked Darla so easily and yet when it came to Drusilla. ** And where the hell did Spike fit into all of this? ** He wondered in even more confusion

Buffy looked at the relief in Drusilla's eyes and nodded.

"Let her be with her honey, I know what you said about demons surviving but I'm sure some of them won't and this might be their last chance."

Drusilla looked at Angel making sure he wouldn't go against the Slayer's wishes, when she was confident it was safe to move she slipped quietly away.

With the last of the vampires gone, Buffy and Angel found themselves totally alone in what was left of the shop. Another battle between good and evil had been fought and won, just like the good old days.

Angel found himself staring at Buffy, just when he thought he knew all there was to know about her, she went and threw him all over again. For a moment he was back in that dark alley in Sunnydale and flat on his back. Angel liked the feeling that in a world that had changed so much, some things remained the same. This small perfect woman could still surprise the hell out of him.

Seeing the blood on her face for the first time, he took a hesitant step towards her

"So. How do you feel, now?" It was Buffy that asked the question. She gazed deep into his clear brown eyes searching for signs of the darkness.

"I feel.. Better." Angel's lips almost turned into a smile. He felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted off his tired shoulders. He had expected to feel guilt over his Sire's death, but all he found was relief. With the demon now gone wherever Darla's soul was Angel hoped she could finally rest in peace.

He looked back at Buffy and acknowledged the fact that she had probably saved two souls that night, he then remembered she was hurt

"What about you?" Angel asked pointing to the injury above her eye, which was already closing

Buffy smiled and touched the cut with her fingers

" I've had worse" her eyes twinkled in amusement.

Angel nodded in understanding. As fights go, this had been almost an anti climax. But as always the Slayer had been outstanding and the victory was hers.

"I'm just glad I could help" Buffy walked away and picked up Mr. Pointy from the floor where Darla had thrown it earlier. Slipping her stake safely back into the waistband of her jeans, she turned once more to face Angel

"Where are you. I mean, what next?" he asked quietly already knowing the answer.

"I gonna practice a little of what I preach, I'm gonna spend my last night on earth with my honey" Buffy turned back and headed for the exit.

Angel stood very still just watching her walk away. He'd always known she was leaving but the reality of watching her go was unbearable.

When Buffy reached the shattered glass counter she stopped and turned back, seeing that Angel hadn't moved she slowly held out her hand.

"Angel?"

Angel's eyes went from her hand to her face and this time his lips definitely turned into a smile as he realised the honey she wanted to be with was him.

Without another thought, Angel walked across the room, on reaching the Slayer he held out his own large hand and gently touched her fingers

"Despite what you said to Drusilla, I don't think I can get you back to Sunnydale in time, Buffy. We can try, but I can't promise to get you home." Angel looked at the large clock over Buffy's shoulder and knew that they were running out of time.

Buffy reached up and trailed her finger across his lips

"Shhh, I am home, Angel. I'm with you." She pulled Angel's head down and pressed her lips against his cool mouth.

Angel gasped, as feelings he had thought long forgotten flooded through him, warming his cold lonely heart. And, for the first time in a very long while he almost felt alive.

"Buffy" he moaned softly into her mouth as her kisses became more urgent. Angel wrapped his arms around her slender body and pulled her up against his hard chest, letting her heat burn right into his soul. As he relaxed in her arms, Angel felt the darkness he had been so lost in, slowly start to slip away.

"This is the only home I ever wanted" Buffy sighed as the vampire swept her up into his arms and moved towards the door, he never even noticed as his feet kicked through what remained of Darla's scattered ashes.

*****

"I guess I should really start with the Mohra demon, it's veins run with the blood of eternity" Angel's eyes flickered to Buffy's face as he started his explanation. Her body quickly became stiff and expressionless as she silently absorbed every detail of the day that never was. As Angel recalled all the painful memories, Buffy's beautiful hazel eyes stared straight ahead, unable to return his gaze.

" And then I discovered I was human" Angel continued with the story. As the memories of that day slipped quietly over his tongue, the pain that accompanied them grew stronger inside his chest.

As the words slowly started to sink in, Buffy felt every dream she had ever dared to believe in, curl up inside her heart and die. After everything that had passed between the two of them, the thought that their one chance of happiness had not only come, but had also gone, leaving her with no memory of it at all was unbearable.

" I held you in my arms and you said it was the perfect day, and you were right, it was" Angel didn't even attempt to hide any of the more personal details, Buffy had demanded the truth and that was exactly what he was giving her.

Although Buffy's expression didn't chance, Angel felt the pain bubbling up inside of her. It was part of the bond that they still shared; they still had the ability to understand what the other was feeling. Angel didn't know what he could possibly say that would comfort her. He had been given over a year to accept the loss of that day, and although the pain never really left him, over the last few months he had become accustomed to dealing with it in his own way. But for Buffy, it was all so new; her grief was only just beginning.

"So I asked them to change me back" Angel looked over and once again failed to capture her eyes.

Buffy stood almost frozen in time as a deep sadness spread through her soul. It was a grief like nothing she had ever experienced before. Her eyes burned, but she refused to let the tears spill as her heart pounded faster in her chest. She also refused to acknowledge that that very same heart was once again shattering into a million jagged pieces.

**We made love, we had it all. ...You gave it all away**

Buffy felt as if the meteorite had already smashed into the earth and all the oxygen had been sucked from the planet.

**You did it for me**

**But It was all for nothing** On that self-pitying thought, cold reality hit her right between the eyes.

**What the fuck did any of it matter now?**

Pulling herself and her shattered heart back together, Buffy took a deep breath and came to terms with the fact that fate had well and truly screwed her for the very last time.

"So these oracle things took back the whole day, just like that?" she spoke her first words with a calm clear voice

"That's pretty much it" Angel nodded and waited for the explosion he knew was bound to follow.

It never happened.

Buffy just sighed with regret and silently cursed the creatures that she felt had really cheated her.

"I can't remember a thing" she replied sadly. No matter how hard she searched her memory there were no pictures in her head of that day.

** To see Angel walk in the sunlight...Dear god, I want those memories back ** her heart whispered over the despair of knowing it would never happen.

"You weren't supposed to remember, Buffy. Only me"

**I'll never forget, I'll never forget, I'll...**...** I guess that's it then**

At the reminder of his sacrifice Angel voice trembled slightly. The Oracles had been as good as their word, on her own; Buffy would never have remembered a thing.

She lifted her face to his.

"I do understand, but it doesn't make it any easier" Buffy whispered, the thought of Angel carrying all that pain alone, was heartbreaking.

"I thought I was saving you" Angel closed his eyes as a wave of bitterness returned to his cold heart. In a few short hours Buffy and the rest of humanity would all be dead, his sacrifice had been in vain. He couldn't save Buffy or his friends or even himself. Somewhere, out there in the darkness, evil, fate or even the powers that be were having the last laugh on the tormented lovers. The end of days had crept up in disguise without them even realising it was coming. The warriors of Evil didn't need to fight this battle after all, they just had to sit back and wait. Humanity would be snuffed out like a candle in the wind and then the world would once again be theirs.

Buffy watched the anger of defeat cover Angel's troubled features and wanted nothing more than to hold him in her arms and comfort him with promises that everything would work out for the best. But life didn't work that way, there was no pot of gold at the end of their rainbow, there really were no happy endings.

**Not unless she made one**

"Angel, I don't want to spend my last few hours going over things that we have no way of changing." Buffy slowly walked forward and slipped her small hands beneath the silk of his shirt. Her fingers boldly trailed over his smooth skin and taut muscles, happily reacquainting themselves with the newness of his body. She pressed her head slightly forward and brought her lips to his chest, softly kissing his dead heart through the material of his shirt.

" It doesn't need to beat for me to know that you're alive, in my heart you've always been alive." This time she couldn't stop the tears as they slipped over her lashes and trickled down her cheeks.


Angel couldn't speak; he just stood gently caressing her hair while she cried in his arms. After a few minutes, Buffy raised her head and nuzzled her face against his cool neck. Angel wrapped his fingers in the silky strands of her long blonde hair; he lowered his mouth and softly kissed her brow. Tilting her chin up with his finger, their eyes met and a new understanding passed between them. It didn't matter where they were, or where their souls went; the love that they now shared would last forever. Nothing would change that, not even death.

"I love you" Angel softly ran his thumb across her tear stained cheek revelling in the warmth he found. Where most of the women in his life had brought darkness, Buffy had always been his sunlight. She was the soft warm glow in a cold dark world.

"Then make love to me" Buffy asked simply, her eyes pleading with him to say yes.

Angel dropped his hand as if he'd been burnt and slowly shook his head

"Buffy, the curse" he tried to explain but Buffy brought her finger to his lips cutting off his protest.

"To hell with the curse, Angel. We're both going to be dead in a few hours and nothing on earth can stop that. So, to hell with the curse. To hell with TPTB, and to hell with that meteorite. You know what? Fuck them all" the Slayer in her heart kicked in with attitude.

Angel's eyes widened at her choice of language, then after looking into her resolved face his lips turned into a soft smile.

**She was right, what the hell did it matter now**

"Okay"

He didn't get a chance to say anything else as hungry mouths devoured each other with long denied passion

*****

Buffy was so sated she could hardly bare to move. Every limb ached with the most delicious pain she had ever experienced. She was hot, sticky, sore and completely exhausted as a result of their lovemaking. Buffy felt wonderful, she had finally experienced the perfect day.

Angel pulled her limp body further into his arms and kissed her damp hair. Feeling happier than she had had ever felt in her whole life, the small girl snuggled closer into the cool embrace of his arms, all thoughts of what was about to happen in the out side world conveniently forgotten. Whatever time was left for the ill-fated lovers, it was just for them. Their obligations to the world fulfilled, they were owed this time.

"Angel?" Buffy trailed small butterfly kisses across his strong jaw line and let her tongue slide down the side of his throat. Her warm lips sucked tenderly at the cool sweet flesh and gently teased his Adams apple

"Mmmmmmm?" Angel could hardly open his eyes; his whole being was now exhausted beyond the point of rational thinking.

**There was definitely something to be said for slayer's stamina** the vampire inwardly smiled

The lovers might not have had peanut putter and ice cream this time, but they had certainly made up for it in other ways.

"Thank you." Buffy whispered the words so quietly that only the vampire's advanced hearing picked up on it.

After a few moments curiosity got the better of his tiredness. Angel tilted her chin with his finger so that he could see all of her perfect face.

Buffy smiled back at her lover, her fingers gently caressing the light hair on his arm.

Angel waited for a few seconds but then lifted an eyebrow, questioning her words.

Buffy lifted his large hand to her lips and pressed a soft kiss to his knuckles. Lifting her gaze back to his face, her large hazel eyes looked straight into his soul

"Thank you.... For loving me, for always loving me." Buffy spoke the words straight from her heart. She could see now that even in the darkest days of their relationship the love that they shared had always been there, maybe she had lost sight of that for a while, but Angel never had. He had always tried to put her happiness first, even when it meant breaking his own heart.

She realised then that he had been wrong about not being able to save her; he had saved her more than he would ever know.

Angel's lips turned into a large smile, tiny laughter lines crinkled at his eyes as his whole face came alive.

"Beloved, I had no say in the matter. I gave you my heart that very first day; there was never any going back after that. Maybe this really was our destiny" he continued to smile.

Buffy sighed in contentment as sleep started to drag her into its clutches. No matter how hard she fought its pull, she knew it would win. And in all honesty, that was how she wanted it, the end would come and all she would remember was Angel's strong-arms holding her tight. He would never let her fall, not her Angel. He was friend; her lover and her guardian all rolled into one.

"Angel?" Buffy fought desperately to stay awake for a few more seconds. There was one last thing that she had to tell him.

"Yes?"

"I came here to say goodbye" she whispered truthfully.

Angel didn't move as he contemplated the statement

"I know," he finally admitted. **He had known from the moment she had walked throw his bedroom door. **

Buffy turned and her insides flipped at the sight of his beautiful face looking back at her.

" I can't say it " she moved her face closer, needing to memorise every single detail of perfection.


"I know that too" Angel replied knowing that they could never willingly leave each other again. He leant forward and brushed her lips with his one last time.

Content with the answer Buffy snuggled back into the comfort of her lover's hard chest, her eyes closed over and her breathing slowed as the warmth of oblivion almost claimed her.

"Angel...It's only this world that's ending, I'll love you until all the stars go out" she murmured as sleep took her voice away for the last time.

"And I'll love you even longer " Angel held Buffy in his arms as close as he could and let all his senses fill with her essence. He knew that he might never see heaven but at that moment in time he no longer cared. Heaven was already with him, wrapped tightly in his arms. That was all the heaven he would ever need.

On that last thought the vampire known as Angel closed his own eyes and allowed his tired body to join his love in a sleep that would last until the end of time.

*****

Murphy's Law...
If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong.


Buffy's eyes flickered, but the first of her senses to kick in was her hearing, as the sound of a thousand church bells clanged in the distance. Disorientated by her surroundings and by the bright sunlight streaming through the window, the Slayer quickly sat up and grabbed for her watch.

**8.37am... She was still alive**

"Angel! Angel!" Buffy called out frantically, looking for her lover. Although the room was now filled with sunlight, the bed they had fallen asleep in was safely shaded from the harmful rays.

In a desperate need for answers, Buffy jumped from her bed and wrapping a long sheet around her naked body, she sprinted out of the room.


The hotel was empty, Buffy continued calling her lover's name as she searched room after room becoming more fearful by the second. Eventually she made her way outside, the warm morning sun shone down from a perfect clear blue sky.

In the distance, the noise was becoming deafening as every church bell in the city celebrated the arrival of a new day.

Buffy's bare feet started to lead her further away from the hotel in her search for answers. At the bottom of the street she stopped a stray passer by, celebrating in his own way with a large bottle of whiskey.

"It missed, at the very last second it altered course and bounced off the atmosphere" The drunk slurred his explanation with a face splitting grin.

"It's a miracle, a bloody miracle I tell you" he pulled away from Buffy and taking a large swig from his bottle, he carried on down the street in his blissful state of drunkenness.

**We need more than a wish, we need a miracle** Buffy remembered her conversation with Willow.

She raised her eyes back to the flawless blue sky and said a silent pray of thanks to whoever it was that had sent the miracle.

Now that the world was out of immediate danger she turned her thoughts back to the whereabouts of her lover. Buffy's tiny feet made their way back to the hotel, it was the only place he could be.

Standing in the foyer of the hotel, Angel suddenly appeared from behind her. Laying his cool hands on her bare shoulders he gently turned her around to face him

Buffy's large excited eyes shone up in to Angel's face with pure relief. Satisfied that her lover was safe from harm, Buffy sparked with renewed hope for the future.

"It missed, it changed direction and... Missed" she smiled and gently caressed his cheek. Her heart then filled with jubilation

** They had a future after all**


Wrapping her arms tightly around Angel's large frame, Buffy lay her head against his hard chest and relaxed for the first time in what felt like years.

Angel raised his hand to her back and softly caressed her bare skin. His long fingers tangled in her hair and his lips moved to her neck. Buffy felt his cool tongue slide against her skin and she shivered in delight.

" We're safe...We're really safe" she whispered closing her eyes as her lover's mouth moved further down her body.

The sound of a deep chuckle caused her to look back up

"We are?.... Think again Buff, think again" Angelus smiled back with a gleam in his cold evil eyes.

Buffy stood paralysed with fear as the awful truth hit her.

"Oh, god. What have I done?" her small voice whispered in absolute horror.
Angelus just continued to smile with a devilish grin.

" Fun fact, Lover. I guess it really is the end of the world....After all".

Sods Law.
Miracles might happen, but they come with a price.


The End........ Or the beginning of something new.