Another Chance For a Happy Ending

By Angelica


Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, but Gerry and Michael and family. I don't own Buffy, Angel, or any other of the Scooby Gang. The god Joss does.

Author's Notes: I dreamed most of this so if it's incredibly weird blame it on my sub-conscience. As it says, this takes place two years after "Lover's Walk" and is over a time period of 40 years. Hey! I wanted them old and gray! Now on with the show!



"I'm human?" Angel asked astonished. He looked up at the circle of Buffy's friends for some hope what they said was really true.

"Yeah. Look in the mirror," Buffy said and tossed him her compact. He took a second to pry to open and then looked at it expecting to see nothing as always. He saw something. A handsome brown eyed and brown-haired gentlemen looking at him. He snapped her compact shut again. He looked at it and pried it open again.

"I'm human," he said this time more of a statement than a question. He looked at the circle of friends again and thanked them with his eyes because he couldn't trust his voice. He was overwhelmed with gratitude and hope.

"Com' on," Buffy said. She took his arm in hers and dragged him towards the door. It was a beautiful morning in Sunnydale, but Angel wasn't ready to face the sun. He started to stop and run from the sun, but Buffy stood firm and yanked him out into the sun. He stood covering his head and arms waiting for the biting pain of burning to start, but it never came. He uncrossed his arms and looked up at the sun.

"I'm not dead," he said in wonder.

"You're human!" Buffy said.

"I'm not dead!" Angel yelled, full of joy. He started dancing around the around shouting, "I'm not dead!" Buffy had to run after him and clamp a hand over his mouth to keep from giving the neighbors an early wake-up call.

"Angel, dearest, we have neighbors and they don't like to be woken up at 7 a.m. So come on!" She grabbed his arm again and dragged him to his old apartment. She opened the refrigerator and threw the blood out. "I'll go shopping later. Now you do what's called sleeping." She walked him to his bed and pushed him into it. "I know it's still a bit early for you, but you're human. I want to spend some time out in the
sun with me."

"Fine," he said resigned. He laid down and was soon joined by Buffy. "Wha-?"

"Just until you fall asleep," she said. She put her head on his chest and listened to the sound of his heartbeat. She had sort of missed that, when they made love. That seems like so many years ago, Buffy thought, hard to believe it was only two years! We've all grown so much since then. I haven't changed much, but Willow's so much stronger. I can see her as the president. Xander finally fell for only one girl,
and isn't in love with all of us. Giles... Poor old Giles. He just seems to get older and older, never to get a spark of his youth back. I maybe only 19, but he's 100. Well, in reality he's not that old. He just acts like it. Cordelia and Oz are out there somewhere; they kind of left us after the band candy stuff. I don't know where they went. She noticed his breath was slow and even, and decided he was asleep. She got up
carefully and went shopping.

He awoke with a start. Another nightmare, he thought ruefully. They never leave me alone! He looked around suddenly noticing Buffy wasn't there anymore. No not this nightmare, he thought frantically. Not the one when Buffy's a vampire! He looked around again and then he saw her, with a try of something in her hands.

"How about some breakfast in bed?" She asked, grinning. She set the tray down in front of Angel and sat in a chair next to him. He looked at the food and his stomach rumbled in response. They both laughed. He picked up a fork and took a piece of the white and yellow thing in front of him. He put it in his mouth and felt the flavor burst in his mouth. He chewed.

"It's very good! What is it?" Angel asked after he swallowed. He may not have had to eat, but he still had manners.

"Oh! That's sausage, the little, round things. The thin, wavy things are bacon. The flat, brown things are pancakes. The pitcher has maple syrup, for the pancakes. The yellow thing is butter and you have orange juice or milk. Oh you're eating scrambled eggs."

"I'll just have the milk, thank you." Buffy looked at him confused. "I just remember liking milk was I was young! You remember weird things when you're 245 years old!"

"I guess." She picked up the glass of orange juice and started sipping.

"Want to help me eat all this? I'm not much of an eater." She nodded and picked up a piece of bacon. They sat there in silence with nothing, but the random fork and knife scratching a plate or the loud crunching of bacon. They looked at the empty plates. "Maybe I do eat a lot." She giggled. She picked up all the empty dishes and took them over to the sink.

"This is nice," she said. She laid her head back on Angel's chest to relax. He gently stroked her hair. She looked into his deep brown eyes. They were always so full of pain, she though. I've always wished I could take it all away.

He looked at her resting peacefully on his chest. She's so young, he thought, I would give anything to keep her from the dangers she has to face daily.

Their eyes met and they kissed. It wasn't urgent; it was nothing but passion that led them to take their clothes off. They spent the rest of the day locked in his apartment.

For the first time in 245 years, he slept all-night and walked out into the sun. They were going to the beach. In mid-December, it would be cold, but empty.

Buffy pulled some clothes from her overnight bag and got ready in his bathroom while he pulled on his clothes. They walked out hand-in-hand. Giles met them outside Angel's apartment complex and they all went to the beach.

Angel was restless the hour drive from Sunnydale to the beach. He sounded like a little child every time he asked, "Are we almost there?" Buffy had to playfully slap him after about the fifth time.

They reached their destination and Angel was the first to climb out of the car. He looked at the deep blue ocean and the white-crested waves as they pounded the shoreline. He put his nose into the wind and breathed deeply the smell of the salty air. Buffy got out of the car to stand next to Angel. Her short hair blew wildly in the wind.

Giles wondered off to go find a place to set up the blankets and things. Buffy and Angel took their shoes off and followed him. Angel chuckled at the feel of the small grains of sand between his toes. "Like it?" Buffy asked.

"It's strange. I did this once when I was a vampire and I didn't know it wouldn't it would feel the same."

"Well the pleasures of being human means you're more into fun!" She laughed and ran at him trying to tickle him. He saw her intentions and took off. They ran and laughed all over the empty beach. Giles himself chuckled at their antics. Such youth, he thought. Was I ever that young? The out-of-breath couple finally joined him in looking at the sea. They flopped down on the nearest blanket and just held each other.

Lunch and dinner came and went and soon it was nearing dark.

"Guys, I have to go home. Angel, I've had a wonderful time. Hope I see you soon," Buffy said quietly. In her heart she was saying good-bye. She had to get away from it all. She climbed into a cab she had called and waved as they drove off.

"She is the strangest girl," Giles muttered.

"You're telling me," Angel added. He was confused. I thought she wanted to stay with me, for the rest of her life. Why would she leave now? His thoughts became darker and darker as forty years rolled past. Now he spent most of his time in Giles' unusually large mansion. It was on a cliff and had large glass windows. There was a big, oak table in the dinning room where Angel spent most of his time aging.

His tush was small and his thighs slimmed, but his pecs weren't as smooth as they used to be. His dark brown hair turned a thinning shade of gray. At 62, it's safe to say that he didn't look like he used to. People were always living longer and staying stronger. Giles was a prime example. At 85 he was still at the top of his game. Ethan Ryne is younger, almost Angel's age, but still strong for an old man. Angel
and Ethan would spend a lot of time together, being the younger two.

In all that time he'd never heard a word about Buffy, from either Giles or Ethan.

One day on a hike around the cliff that surrounded Giles' mansion, Angel asked if Ethan had heard anything about Buffy.

"Buffy? Oh! Right I was supposed to tell you this about two years ago. It sort of slipped my mind," Ethan said in a "I have a secret" voice.

"What? You know something about Buffy? Tell me!" Angel demanded.

"Well I suppose it wouldn't mean much after two years-" Ethan was stalling and Angel cut him cut.

"Tell me about my wife, damn it!" He yelled, enraged.

"*Your* wife? She's married with children! I'm quite sure not to you. So I wouldn't call her your wife."

"Married? With kids?" Angel looked almost as bad as he felt. She had moved on and left him when he needed her most. How dare she! He was enraged and very unstable. "What did she want you to tell me?"

"Here! It's the directions to her house. She wanted you to come. Don't know why." Ethan shrugged and walked back to the house. Angel continued to stare at the piece of paper in his hands. She lived somewhere in Upland, California. He took off for the garage and started off for her house.

After several hours of driving at 60 miles per hour, he reached her house. It was a small one-story, but he couldn't see much else since it was dark. He stormed up to the door and knocked, loudly.

"Hold on, I'm coming," Buffy's old voice answered from the other side of the door. She found the doorknob and opened it. She was greeted with Angel's angry face. She gasped. "I thought you'd never come!" She reached out and wrapped her arms around him. He didn't return the hug, but Buffy didn't seem to notice. "Come on in!"

He walked into her house. It was a nice place with orangish carpet and white walls. It had some beige couches and a brightly decorated Christmas tree in the corner.

Time had been kind to Buffy. Her body was much thinner, if that was possible, and her blonde hair was only slightly gray. But she moved much slower and none of her Slayer grace was about her.

"Angel, I've missed you so much!"

"*You* missed *me*?" he looked confused. "I was the one suddenly alone for 40 years, wondering what happened to the love of my life. I thought you died, damn it Buffy!" He stood as she reached for him again. "How can you touch me! You're the one that's married!"

"Not anymore. He died awhile ago. I never stopped loving you though."

"Buffy, you left me. Not a word, not a goodbye. Forty years later I hear that you're married with kids!"

"One kid and he's yours."

"What?!"

"You heard me."

"Why didn't you call or something? And how do you know?"

"Gerry didn't want to hurt him. Mike really loved him and we didn't want to break his heart. Even though they looked nothing alike. He looks so much like you. You do have a picture from when you were first human?"

"Yeah." He pulled a picture out. He was looking at something with nothing but love in his eyes. It was at the beach.

"You still have this?" Buffy asked shocked. "This was the night I left you! Oh God, Angel I'm so sorry." She latched on to his shirt and started crying. The doorbell rang. Angel had to carry Buffy to the door because she had a death grip on his shirt.

He opened the door and was greeted with a young man's face that was much like his own when he was 22. "Who are you?" he demanded. "And what did you do to make Mom cry?"

"Nothing, honey. Come in I have something to tell you." She let go of Angel's shirt and led them into the living room. Angel opened the door farther and saw Mike's family walk past. His wife was a lot like Willow, with long, red hair and a slim body. They had two little girls. They were twins at about five years old. They both had on little dresses in red and green plaid with the same color head bands.

Angel walked over and sat in the lounge chair and Buffy sat in his lap. Her son and daughter-in-law stood, each holding one of their daughter's hands.

"Mike, Gerry wasn't your real father."

"You had an affair?" he asked shocked.

"No, I was pregnant when I married him. That's why I look so fat in all the wedding pictures."

"Did Dad know?"

"Yeah, he did. He stayed with me even he knew a large part of my heart was locked away for someone else. This is your real father. Angel, meet your son, Michael. Mike met your father, Angel." They shook hands, politely. "I'm so sorry I left you!"

"I'm sorry you did, too. Buffy, I can't forgive you. You hurt me more than I'd like to admit."

"But..." The protest died on her lips when she realized it was the truth. How could he forgive me? I walked out on him when he was still getting used to being human. She looked into his eyes and saw nothing but raw pain there. "I know you can't forgive me, but can you still love me?"

"Buffy, I never stopped loving you. I can't just turn that on and off. You walked out when I needed you the most and here you are asking if *I* still love you. Shouldn't I be asking *you* that question?"

"Angel, let's not go there..." She trailed off and gestured towards Mike and his family.

"You asked." He shrugged and got up. "I'll come back at a more convenient time." His voice was cold and hard.

"Angel, don't go!" Buffy's protest nearly got lost in her throat because she started crying again. Angel stopped. He never could stand to see her cry.

"No. Angel, stay. We'll leave. I know you have stuff to work on, but maybe the kids could visit their real grandfather someday," Mike said leading his family out the door. Buffy no longer had anything to hide behind. No people to protect her from the truth. She had to face it finally.

"Angel, I made a mistake. I'm not proud of myself. I'm just lucky the first guy I ran into was kind enough to take in a pregnant 19-year-old and love her when she gave him nothing. I didn't even know I was pregnant until I was two months into the first trimester! I wanted to get married and grow old with someone. You didn't seem like you were ever going to ask me, so I moved on to someone who would."

"Buffy, I went out and got a ring while you were asleep, the night before we went to the beach! I still have it with me. Foolish hopes that you would come back, I guess." He took a gray ring box out of his pocket and opened it to show her. It was a small 4-carat diamond in the shape of a heart. It had a small emerald inlaid. It was supposed to be the same color as her eyes.

"It's beautiful," she breathed. They had somehow wondered into her bedroom and her knees made her land on the edge of the bed. He closed the box and put it back in his pocket.

"Too bad it doesn't belong to you." He looked away because he knew that was cruel and tears were sure to come. They did.

"Just because I left doesn't mean I don't love you!" She snapped.

"It doesn't?" He sneered. "Then what does it mean? I'm too old fashioned to need time to get the courage. That I'm not good enough for you? That you never wanted to be *my* wife?"

"Only the first," she said softly.

"I thought of you as my wife!" He yelled.

"You did?" She looked so hopeful that he couldn't have lied if he wanted to.

"Yes."

"Angel, can I ever make this up to you?"

"I doubt it." He looked at the mirror on her dresser. What he saw shocked him. A cruel snarling beast replaced his usually sad face, almost like he had become a vampire again. He looked at Buffy and saw a beaten puppy. He turned to face her. "I know you're hurting. I know I'm hurting you. I can't stop the pain, but I can say I still love you."

"Angel, how many times do I have to say 'I'm sorry' for you to believe me?"

"Buffy you can't say it enough. It doesn't mean anything. Did you hear how my 'I'm sorry's were treated when I was brought back? It's just like the same thing. You'll never say enough. You have to prove it."

"How do I prove I love you?" She looked him in the eyes and kissed him. He managed to set aside his anger long enough to kiss her back and land in bed. Soon all thoughts were lost and they spent the rest of the day in bed together.

They finally got out of bed and then they walked by her dresser mirror again. He looked and saw something very strange. He looked 22 again and Buffy was slowly returning to her 19-year-old good looks again. She turned and looked in the mirror when he stopped.

"That's amazing," she breathed. "I never looked so good!" She giggled. He stared intently at the mirror and then it disappeared. They were at the beach again.

"We're being given another chance for a happy ending," Angel said as he looked at himself running from a tickling Buffy.

"We can change every thing! All the pain." She looked wistfully at her younger self. "I know how."

The young pair stood looking out to the sea and they each heard a whisper.

"Ask her. She might be gone tomorrow, make sure she'll never leave you!" the older Angel whispered the suggestion into the younger's ear.

"Stay. Don't leave Angel. You have a surprise for him, just wait and he'll surprise you," the older Buffy told the younger.

The older couple took each other's hands and watched the scene unfold. It was nearing sunset when Angel pulled her away from Giles. He got down on one knee and said, "Will you marry me?"

An exited Buffy answered, "Of course, my Angel!" He slipped the gorgeous ring on her hand and the older couple felt themselves being pulled toward their younger counter-parts. They were pulled into the hearts of their younger selves to add as much love as they could. The hearts of the younger two swelling and they embraced and kissed with more love and passion than anyone would have thought possible.

The End