disclaimer: The characters of BtVS are owned by Joss Whedon and Co.

note: This is story one of The Forever Chronicles, 10 stories of how if you have a little faith in your friends, you never really die. Season 2, after WML2, alterna-universe time!

Feedback for Aurelia

Camilla sat contemplating her destiny. Or her so called destiny. She didn't think that what the vampires were telling her was here real destiny. She couldn't bear to think that...no, it definitely couldn't be. Out of desperation, she finally yelled, "Please, somebody, help me!" She wriggled and yanked at the chains holding her with all of her might, until she couldn't stand the pain anymore. Blood ran from her wrists and dust disturbed from the outburst settled on her head and in in cuts. It hurt terribly, but she bit her lip.

"Shut up, bitch."came the reply from the guardsman a few minutes later. He sounded like she had woke him from a nap. She sank to her knees with sobs. Her raven colored hair covered her shoulders as knelt, crying for the millionth time in the past few days.

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"Oh, just die, stupid thing, die." Buffy exclaimed as she wrestled with the rookie vamp. After much kicking, she finally got it up against a tree and staked it. Brushing herself off, she continued walking towards the Bronze.

"Buffy,"

She whipped around, stake poised to kill whomever was talking to her. < I really gotta stop doing that >

Angel grinned. As mad as she seemed to get, it was always fun to scare her like that. Of course, he'd never hurt her, but the look on her face was always priceless.

She glared at him, trying to be mad. But the look in his eyes said he was just kidding, again. "Angel...how many times have I asked you not to do that? You just *don't* sneak up on people in graveyards. You make noise..." She smiled. "Just don't, okay?" Her eyes pleaded with his.

"Well..." she gave him a look. "Okay...I guess. But only because you asked so nicely." He put his arms around her waist, hugging her.

"Thank you. Because, one of these days I wont be able to catch myself when you're behind me." He leaned in closer to her, but she walked off, going to the Bronze. Still holding her hand, he followed her, dutifully playing the nice 'human' boyfriend.

He sometimes wondered, like now, for instance, if that's what she really wanted: a normal boyfriend. Someone that could do so many things with her that he couldn't. Like taking her into the daylight. He was silent all the way to the Bronze, thinking it over. Somehow, some way, he'd find a way to take her in the light.

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Vera sat on a bar stool in the Bronze, surveying the crowd. Who ever it was she was supposed to help, they either weren't here, or she had lost her touch for reading auras. Not that she'd been great before, not like Amy, but she had been reasonably good. She surveyed the crowd, searching for someone to fit any of the descriptions given to her by the Powers That Be. She was supposed to help four children, but the Oracles had warned her that each was not a child in self. She repeated her assignment under her breath and patrons who noticed stared at her like she was putting a spell on them.

"Find the four children at heart, but grown in mind and body. But do not be fooled, for each holds a secret undetectable under the surface. A girl, who sends out strength and power. A boy, who has a demon in him. A girl who radiates Wiccan energies, but seems unknowing. A boy that seems normal...Yeah, that ones easy... She took out the wallet sized pictures she had of each. They were hand drawn and sketchy, but she knew that if she saw one of The Four, shed know instantly. But, the thing was, she didnt know which was which. There was a pretty blonde, and a cute red head. The guys both had dark hair, but one looked ages more mature than the other. When she looked at the pictures of all of them, except the blonde, long lost memories itched at her memory, begging to be let free. But she always suppressed them. She guessed that the red head was the strong one and the blonde the Wiccan. The normal one was the more mature, and the one with the demon was the younger looking. She smiled to herself, confident that some time today she would find who she had to help.

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"Aw, c'mon, G-man!" Xander protested. "I've been your research boy for four hours straight, can't we take a *little* break?"

Willow smiled. They'd been in the library for the past four hours, even though Xander hadn't begun to help until about fifteen minutes ago. But Giles didn't need to know.

Giles simply waved his hand in Xanders direction. "Wait, I'm onto something..." He began to mutter under his breath. "All of The Four shall unite, and one shall fall. But with the knowledge of what to do, the Fallen One will live again. The dark forces will die under the terror of the Wiccan and the Slayer. The Unknowing will find his strength, and all shall prosper."

"What, Giles?" Willow looked up from her research to listen to Giles' mumblings. "I heard 'Slayer' and 'Wiccan' in there somewhere,"

He looked up, aggravated. "Yes, and because it mentioned Buffy, then the Wiccan probably refers to you. But the Fallen One and the Unknowing, they don't make sense to me. I'll research, perhaps something will turn up."

Xander looked at him expectantly, which Giles answered with, "Go to the Bronze, do something. I shall find it alone quicker, anyway."

As they strode out of the library, Willow whispered to Xander, "Does he seem angry?"

Xander just shook his head and they headed to the Bronze.

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Angel and Buffy entered the Bronze together, and found a small table. Of course, all of the tables were small, but that is not the point.

"Buffy..." He started, but he couldn't finish it. He didn't *really* want to know if Buffy ever wanted a normal boyfriend, did he? No, he convinced himself.

She stared at him, into the eyes she loved so much, and watch him smile as she simply replied, "Hmmm?"

He grinned and pushed all of his fears about their relationship aside. "Want to dance?" he asked as he pulled he out on the floor. Almost on cue, a slow song started.

From across the room, Vera watched them move onto the dance floor. It was them, she was sure of it. Something else nagged at her, something long forgotten. No, not forgotten. Buried. Something she had tried so hard to forget, to deny. He looked like someone from long ago. Someone from her past. He looked like-No! She stopped herself. She had forgotten by choice, she had known then it would be painful. At the tender age of 15 she had seen her family die, and almost died herself. Thank the gods the healer had been near and the *thing* had forgotten. He had forgotten to kill the healer, and she had been the one to bring Vera back to full health. And Vera promptly made herself forget everything that had happened. But now it came flooding back as she watched him. "It can't be." And she forgot all over again, forcefully shoving unwanted memories back inside the recesses of her mind.

They swayed softly to the music, arms around each other, her head on his shoulder.

Vera moved closer. She had to check their auras, make sure they were the ones. She wouldn't admit to herself that she wanted to read their auras for other than work-purposes. That she wanted to know if it was him.

The song ended and they moved back to their table, not really wanting to dance to the next one.

She (surprisingly) found a table very near to theirs, and positioned herself so she was facing them. They held hands and talked softly, smiling at each other.

She prepared herself, and reached out a little towards them. Now she was within range...her aura-reading range was very short.

Buffy whispered to Angel, "Hey, Angel, guess what?"

He smiled back at her. "What?"

She laughed. "You know what? I love you."

His smile grew. "Yeah, I think you told me that once. On request, of course." She laughed again. That'd been when she found out about Drusilla. But that painful time was past, because they had killed her when she had tried to kill Angel.

Vera tried not to listen, but she couldn't help it. She was sure now, they were the ones she was looking for, thought they weren't what she had expected. This girl was the Slayer, and he was the one with a demon in him. Vampire, she was sure. An unwanted memory tried to resurface for the third time in the past half hour. She didn't let it. Vampires...NO! The memory went back to wherever horrible memories are stored. And they were so in love. How could she help them with out breaking the girl's heart and telling her what her boyfriend was? But she had to reveal herself soon. They might leave, and this could be her only chance.

As she had expected, they got up, and made as if to leave.

She stepped out of the shadows. Vera only hoped she looked like an normal girl. She had braided her long dark hair, and dressed like the other people here. Stepping in front of them, she took a deep breath, getting ready to confront them when they got to her.

Angel saw her before Buffy. But Buffy wouldn't have done anything, except think that it was another girl. Memories came back, killing them all, leaving her to die. He didn't know how she could have survived. Much less lived for 222 years. But he had to know, he had to see if it was her. The resemblance alone, she was the exact image of her the day he had left her to die, to bleed to death. If it was possible, maybe...no, that was silly. But he knew deep down, in the place that it hurt more than anything to go, that this *was* her. He was positive. Every bit of his soul told him. Powers he had long ago forgotten told him she was the same soul.

But what scared him the most was that he might loose her. No way was he letting her get away after all this time.

That is why he stepped up to her, still holding Buffy's hand. Buffy didn't say anything, but she wondered. She knew asking and prodding Angel was virtually pointless.

Vera held her breath. Did he remember, too? Tears welled in her eyes as she listened to the words he whispered to her.

"Vera? I....It's me. Angel. I'm so sorry."