Buffy cradled the boy’s head to her lap and stroked his hair.

“He’ll be fine,” Cordelia assured her, sitting close by.

Michael stirred in Buffy’s arms and she moved her hand when he opened his eyes.

“Hi,” She smiled at him.

He blinked, and tried to get up. He flinched when he felt his head pounding. He took a deep breath and looked around. He saw Cordelia smiling at him and smiled at her.

“How are you feeling?” Buffy asked him, reaching out her hand, but he avoided her touch.

“Why are you good to me? I tried to kill you,” He said.

“Can’t you read my mind?” She asked.

“All I see is myself, like a mirror…” He got up and she got up after him. The other people in the room were staring at him.

“I can hear them. They’re afraid of me. You’re blocking your thoughts”. He said quietly. “I don’t understand”.

Buffy looked up at the others. “Guys, could you…” She didn’t finish her words and the people in the room walked away.

He followed Cordelia with his eyes until she left the room as well.

“She’s not my mother?” He asked disappointed.

“No,” She stepped closer to him. He looked at her, then lowered his head in shame.

“Lindsey said she is,” He tried to look away.

“I don’t know who Lindsey really is, but I understood he’s with the bad guys,” Buffy touched his shoulder.

“He was so nice to me. No one ever treated me like this…” the boy sniffed.

“I never knew you exist… I never knew anything about you…” Her voice quivered.

“Angel knew. When I was kidnapped to this dimension, I tried to make him keep me here. But my powers were weak, and I almost had him, but then another girl from the pantheon had him convinced. Her powers were stronger than mine…”

“And you blamed Angel for giving you to the Pantheon?”

“Yeah, Cordelia was so good to me, I thought she was my mother… that’s what I remembered”.

Buffy smiled lightly.

“Michael, that’s Angel of this reality. He always makes the decisions he thinks are best for those he cares about. Believe me, I know”. She caressed his cheek softly.

“I don’t want to go back to the Pantheon,” Michael said. “It’s boring there. I have to study all day long. And they’re so uptight…”

Buffy smiled at him. “Well, you can stay here with me if you promise not to read people’s thoughts… And, you know, kill them”.

“Really?” His face brightened. “I can really stay here?”

She smiled and nodded and he jumped up and hugged her tight. She laughed and hugged him back.

“Buffy,” Buffy lifted her head hearing Angel’s voice.

Michael turned around. He seemed scared, moving closer to Buffy.

“I see you’re all right now,” Wesley said, looking at the boy. Angel looked at him.

“Oh, yes, I better… I have to go… um,” He started to mumble and Angel handed him the ax.

“Clean this ax, yes”. He walked away.

Angel looked at Buffy and Michael.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“We’re fine,” Buffy said.

“Michael,” Angel started saying. Michael ran over to him, hugging his waist and hiding his face in his stomach. “I’m sorry!” He cried.

Angel was shocked and just stood there awkwardly for a moment before embracing the kid.

“He’s a good boy,” Buffy said. “He just wants a family, to belong somewhere…” Angel raised his eyes to look at her. “…To be loved…” She added more quietly.

“You told him he could stay?” Angel detached himself from the child.

“He can stay with me,” Buffy said. The kid stood there, looking at Angel.

“No, he can’t, Buffy.” Angel said quietly. He grabbed the boy’s hand.

“Michael,” Angel knelt down before the kid so he could be at his eye level. “Why don’t you want me to stay?” The boy asked.

Angel sighed.

“There’s nothing I would have want more in the world than to have you here with me… and to have Buffy… but you see, things happen for a reason. Some things just not meant to be, do you understand?” Angel asked. Buffy lowered her head.

Angel sighed. “I know it seems right now that it is a pain to be the chosen one. You can’t have a normal life, play with friends, and do normal kids stuff…” Angel stammered a bit with the normalcy description and Michael smiled. Angel smiled back. “You were chosen for a reason, Michael. There’s a world out there that needs you. Just like Buffy fights here all alone, and I’m in L.A. We are all lonely. But you’re still a young boy, and a lot of people, like Lindsey, would want to… trick you into using your powers for their goals. And it’s not good. In the Pantheon they’ll teach you who to trust and how to use your powers, until you’re old enough to do it on your own. Now there are all these scary monsters looking after you, but when you grow up, you’ll be able to fight them. The Powers That Be only want to protect you”.

“But I want friends! You have friends! Buffy has friends”. The child objected.

“You’ll have friends too, once you're able to protect yourself and go alone in your world, you’ll find friends. In the mean time, you can make friends with the other kids in the Pantheon that stay there for protection. I know it’s hard, but you have to be strong. You should be proud that they chose you”. Angel looked at him. Michael nodded to show he understood. Angel got up on his feet and patted the boy’s shoulder. He smiled. “And if it feels hard sometimes, think of us here,” Angel pointed to his chest, where his unbeating heart is.

“Because home is where your heart is”.

Buffy closed her eyes. “You see, Michael. Angel’s always making the decisions. But these are hard decisions… I don’t know if I could ever make them,” She said in tears.

Michael walked over to her.

“I’m gonna give you one gift. Pick whatever you want most in the world, and I’ll give it to you. You don’t have to say it, just think about it, feel it,” He said and stepped closer.

She looked at him.

He walked over to her.

“Lean down,” He asked her.

She bowed her head. Michael touched her head with both his hands.

“Close your eyes,” He whispered.

She did as he said. He let go of her after a moment.

“You can open your eyes again,” He told her. She looked at him and smiled.

“I’m ready to go now, dad”. Michael told Angel and grabbed his hand.

Angel smiled at him.

“There’s just one more thing I have to talk about with Bu- your mother,” Angel said. Michael nodded and walked to the other door. “I’ll go scare Xander for a bit. He’s terrified of me. I turned his skin color to green,” He giggled.

“Oh, it reminds me,” Angel said, looking over at him. “If when the demon got you, everything you did with your powers wore off, how come the sun didn’t come out?”

Michael smiled. “Some stuff is just meant to be, I guess. Ask the Powers That Be”. He walked away.

“I love him,” Buffy smiled, turning her stare back to Angel.

“Buffy, I hope you didn’t ask-“

“Shush,” She silenced him, putting her finger on his lips.

“I didn’t ask for us to be together, as you and Michael said, things happen for a reason, and some stuff is just meant to be. If we should be together we will,” She smiled.

“Then what did you ask for?”

“I’ll never forget,” She smiled at him. “I’ll never forget our one perfect day together. Just perfect. Lying in the bed with my normal boyfriend. My normal boyfriend whom I love”, She caressed his cheek.

He smiled. “I love you,” He said. “I love you more and more every day that passes,” He pulled her close.

“Me too,” She put her arms around him. “I’ll never stop loving you till the day I die,” She took a breath and looked into his eyes. “I hope I don’t sound like a teenager helplessly in love with an older man anymore. This is true, I never felt this way and I will never feel this way with anyone else”.

She lowered her hand to his chest. “I can’t feel your heartbeat now, but I remember how it felt,” Her eyes filled with tears and he leaned forward and kissed each of her eyes, tasting her tears. He trailed his lips on her face until he met her waiting mouth. He lingered for a moment, feeling her hot breath, smelling her sweet scent. And then brushed his lips over her mouth, slowly and softly at first, then eager to feel her inside.

She welcomed his tongue with her own, and gave in to his sensual taste. Better than any other man she had been with. Men, boys, man. They were all boys. She was looking in them for things she found in him years ago, but she couldn’t find it. And now he was here again, and she knew this is it. This is why she’s the longest living slayer. Because she HAS to be here when they can truly be together again.

Because things happen for a reason, and some stuff is just meant to be.

It was a while until they let go of each other, and stared into each other’s eyes.

“Keep in touch?” Angel asked, the edge of his lips curved into half a smile.

“You bet I will. How about next weekend?” She suggested, still hugging him.

“Sounds good, I’ll give you a call if I get held up at work…” He winked.

“Yay!” They heard a squeal. They looked away to see Cordelia, Willow and Michael cheering for them.

Buffy let go of Angel and smiled at them.

Michael ran over to her and hugged her.

“I love you. Both of you,” He said smiling. Angel disheveled his hair. “C’mon, Michael. We’re going home”. He said.

Buffy kissed the boy’s head. “I love you, and I’ll never forget you,” She whispered in his ear.

Angel was the last of the L.A gang to leave the place. He looked back at Buffy and winked at her. She smiled.

“I’ll call,” He promised and walked out.

“Michael!” Michael raised his head when Akmav, a chosen girl about his age, came over to him.

“What is it?” He was busy writing down his homework.

“Whistler came back! He said he has something for you!” She sounded excited.

Michael got up and looked at her. “Where is he?” He asked.

“Come!” The girl grabbed his hand and led him through the hall of

Ta-Krim. He merely stopped for a second to see Buffy’s aura reflected there, this time next to Angel’s. He didn’t pay much attention and jumped on Whistler.

“Hey, Kid! Guess what?” Whistler patted the kid’s shoulder.

“You went to my world’s past and you brought me a picture!” Michael said excited.

“Heh, real tough. Smartass. I told you not to read my mind!” He winked at him and gave him a small album.

Michael’s face brightened when he saw a picture of him as a baby, with his parents- Buffy and Angel of his world.

“Could you do me a favor, Whistler?” He asked.

“Sure thing, boy. What do you want?” Whistler asked.

Michael grabbed a pen and scribbled something on the back of the picture.

“Go to the Warrior Angel’s reality, the time after he returned me to the powers that be as a baby, and put it on his desk”. He asked.

“Okay, I’ll go right to it,” Whistler said. Michael smiled.

Whistler took and the picture and left.

“Why didn’t you take it yourself?” Akmav asked.

“You know I’m not allowed to use the time passages. That’s the messenger demons’ job. I’m all good now,” He winked at her and moved closer to kiss her.

“What did you write on the back of the picture?”

“Something Angel once told me. ‘Home is where your heart is’”.

“Wow, that’s nice,” She smiled at him and held his hand.

“I didn’t know back then how right he was. It feels a lot better now,” Michael smiled at her. And they walked back to their study place. Two chosen ones. Two worlds apart. But two things connecting between them. Destiny and their existence. And that was enough.

The End