Distribution: Please ask first.

Rating: PG. Take my word on it. There's no graphic violence in here! :)

Spoiler: Probably anything from "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" and back. This is an alternate universe story so the events in "Passion" never occurred.

Feedback: Yes please!! This is my first attempt at a Buffy/Angel fic. It'd be greatly appreciated.

Summary: A Buffy/Angel what-if story based on the idea that Miss Calendar is able to recurse Angel with a soul. Will things ever be the same between Buffy and Angel? Centered around a song that (in my opinion) fits them perfectly.

Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy and company. I'm just borrowing them. When I'm finished, I'll send 'em back to rerun land (can you tell I'm so not loving the wait in between new episodes?). The song "At the Beginning" is not my creation. Someone else thought it up and sang it (actually 2 people sang it!) but I couldn't tell ya who!

< and > represent thoughts.

Buffy's head hit the concrete with a sickening crack. The world spun around her and she felt herself losing consciousness. < This is it. > she thought. < Well, I knew it would happen one day. . .but who woulda thought Angel would be the one who takes my life from me? >

He straddled his legs on either side of her hips, his arms pinning her's down to her sides. His "game face" was off and he looked so human.

She stared into the eyes of the man she loved. Once so caring and full of love for her, now they held nothing but hatred and unfathomable evil. Buffy blinked back tears and Angelus smiled. He reached one hand to her face and caressed it almost lovingly.

"Angel. . ." Buffy whispered pleadingly. He ignored her and bent down capturing her mouth in his. Buffy couldn't help but respond to the kiss. Angelus pulled away and looked down at her with a knowing smirk on his handsome face.

"Well Buffy it's been fun but I think it's time to move on." In an instant, his "game face" was in place and he lowered his mouth to her neck.

Meanwhile, a gypsy had just finished chanting an 80 year old curse trying to make amends for her betrayal.

"No one told me
I was going to find you
Unexpected
What you did to my heart
When I lost hope
You were there to remind me
This is the start."

Angelus smiled when he saw the terror in Buffy's eyes. Her fear was so great he could smell it. Before she could flinch away, his lips were on hers. She responded to his kiss and he knew she wanted more. He pulled away, smirking.

"Well Buffy, it's been fun but I think it's time to move on." He felt his face shift and leaned down to her neck. Angelus sank his fangs in deeply, and heard Buffy gasp at the pain.

Without warning, Angelus pulled away groaning. The pain in his body hurt beyond words. He felt like he was being torn in two. He tried desperately to stand but he found that he couldn't. Another force had taken over. Angel's soul had been restored.

Buffy quickly to her feet holding a hand over her bleeding neck. < What's happening? > she thought warily watching the man on his knees.

Angel shook his head, hoping the pounding would stop soon. He rose to his feet slowly as the world spun around him at a dizzying speed. A slight movement caught his attention and he looked up. There stood Buffy only a few feet away, her back against an alley wall, desperately looking for a way to get past him.

It was then that he noticed her hand on her neck trying to stop the flow of blood.

Memories of the last month flooded his mind. < Oh God! What have I done? > he thought forgetting about his dizziness as he rushed to Buffy's side.

She flinched away instinctively and Angel felt like he'd been slapped in the face. < She doesn't trust me > he realized and tears began to flow down his face. He wrapped his arms around her and she didn't respond. He stroked her head tenderly. "Oh Buffy. I'm so sorry."

Angel felt pressure on his waist and looked down. Buffy was hugging him back.

"Life is a road
And I want to keep going
Love is a river
I wanna keep flowing
Life is the road
Now and forever
Wonderful journey"

"I'll be there
When the world stops turning
I'll be there
When the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you"

Buffy's body wracked with sobs as she buried her face in Angel's chest.

Angel let her cry and soon picked her up and carried her in the shadows to his apartment. He sat on his couch with her curled up in his lap. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading forgiveness. "I'm sorry," she cried.

Angel looked down at her. "What for?" he asked confused.

"It was my fault. If it wasn't for me, you would never have lost your soul."

"What!?" Angel asked shocked. He felt his heart almost break when he realized what Buffy was talking about. "Buffy. It wasn't your fault. How could you have known? That night meant everything to me." Angel told her. "Every movement, kiss, and touch was perfect Buffy. If I could go back and do it all over again, I would have done it the same." he smiled reassuringly.

"I knew there was somebody somewhere
Like me alone in the dark
Now I know my dream will live on
I've been waiting so long
Nothing's gonna tear us apart."

Buffy looked up at him. "You mean it?" she asked uncertainly.

"You know I do." Angel soothed. "I love you more than anything in the world."

He lifted her chin and met her lips for a kiss to end all kisses. They might never be the same again, but this was a start.

"Life is a road and I wanna keep going
Love is a river I wanna keep going on
Starting out on a journey
Life is a road and I wanna keep going
Love is a river I wanna keep flowing
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you. . ."

~This song was excerpted from "At the Beginning" from the movie Anastasia~