Real Estate
(or, "A Unique Fixer Upper")
by Cynamin and NutMeg

Sunnydale, California
Wonderful place for walks in the park
Just avoid the cemeteries at night

Buffy and Angel walked through the cemetery the next evening, hand in hand, and often mouth to mouth. Thanks to their little conversation the night before, they didn't need to do much in the way of *acting.* The extra sappiness they through in for emphasis was kind of fun.

The two goddesses had refused to divulge anything of what they had seen, claiming it was against some rule. After Angel told Buffy the details of their time in his bed, Buffy just thanked the Powers that the goddesses were discreet.

The night was very quiet, especially in contrast to the night before. She used to love nights like this, patrolling with Angel. If there wasn't some great evil to fight often they'd not gotten much patrolling done at all. Buffy sighed softly.

"What is it?" Angel asked, giving her hand a squeeze.

"I missed this," she began. "I'm happy..."

"But?" Angel prompted.

Buffy laughed slightly. "You know me too well," she said. "What *are* we going to do?"

"Well," Angel smiled. "We could make out here under the moon and hope no one finds us."

"That's not what I meant," she swatted him playfully.

"I know," Angel acknowledged.

"I mean...you and me. All the reasons you left are still there," Buffy said slowly.

"But were they good reasons?" Angel asked. "I've wondered that ever since I left. I'm not so sure anymore."

Buffy shuffled her feet in the cemetery dirt for a moment. "Maybe. I don't know. But you have a business in L.A. now. And the curse...is definitely still an issue."

"We'll figure out something," Angel said calmly. "We have to."

Buffy looked up at him, then quickly changed the subject. "We really should do something to get her to appear," she said quietly.

Angel smiled, then knocked her to the ground, kissing her fiercely before she could respond. *How do you like this Dark Goddess?* Then he couldn't think...he was too absorbed in the kiss.

Buffy was returning it eagerly as well. It was like they'd gone back in time 2 years, before they knew about the curse. It had been so delightful then, kissing on patrol, seeing Angel in the evenings... She'd almost forgotten how perfect it could be.

"Maybe..." Buffy managed between kisses, "they have some sort of...idea...since they were trying so hard...to get us back together."

"Maybe," Angel replied. "We'll....have to....ask them."

"Stop this!"

Shocked, the two stopped and looked up. Standing above them was an irate and disgusted looking goddess in black.

"Enough of this disgusting mush!" she snapped. "It's so...sappy!"

Buffy couldn't help but grin at her. "Do you mind?" she said. "We were kind of having a private moment." She grabbed Angel to give him another kiss.

"That is enough!" the goddess yelled.

Angel pulled away, but kept looking at Buffy. "We don't want to piss off the goddess,," he said, his eyes twinkling. "Did you want something?"

"How did this happen?" she demanded.

Angel shrugged. "Haven't you ever heard of true love? There's even a saying about it."

Buffy giggled and kissed Angel again, making Kirshana glow red ...literally.

"Stop it!" she yelled, sounding oddly like a spoiled child who hadn't gotten her way.

Suddenly her two sisters appeared next to them. Each was dressed in the white apparel that they had first arrived in Sunnydale in. "Is there a problem, Ginger?" NutMeg asked with an obvious smirk.

"Don't call me that!" Kirshana wailed.

NutMeg just grinned wider. "You lose, sis. Why don't you just go home and leave these nice people alone." She did her best to ignore the dagger-sharp glare being sent in her direction.

"You can't expect me to give up this easily," Kirshana hissed. "And this town...I love it here. So much darkness and chaos. But you...and you two," she glared at the sisters and Buffy and Angel, "you just had to keep getting in the way."

Buffy stood then and faced her levelly. "Give up," she said strongly. "Hell didn't tear us apart. Neither have various vampires and demons. You can't expect to win where they have failed."

"Well spoken." Cynamin smiled calmly at her sister. "She has you there, I believe. What did you expect when you came here against us?"

Kirshana smiled. "Fun. Like the good old days. And it has been fun, hasn't it?"

"That it has," Cynamin agreed. "You will be leaving now, correct?"

Kirshana looked around at the group that was forming, for all of the Scooby gang had been within hearing distance. "You can't think you'll be able to *prove* I did any of these things. No one at home will listen."

"Oh no?" NutMeg grinned, holding up a tape player. "Cynamin and a few of us overheard you. She hit play, and what was clearly Kirshana's voice came on. The other goddess looked at the little thing in horror. "And don't think you can just smash this and get away," NutMeg switched it off. "I've already put a copy in several hands back home."

Kirshana licked her lips nervously. "Listen," she said calmly. "How about I cut you a deal?"

"What sort of deal?" Cynamin asked suspiciously.

"You don't tell anyone back home about my interference in these goings on, and I won't tell anyone about anything you've don to interfere...or choose to do here before you return home."

"And how do we know we can trust you?" NutMeg queried. "You *are* the one who used to make my toys disappear after promising not to bother me anymore."

"I...I'll cast the spell right now. The one you want." Kirshana was obviously nervous. "Just... don't tell anyone about all of this."

NutMeg looked at her less hostile sister. *Is she promising to do what I think she is?*

Cynamin looked back at her. *She can be true to her word when it suits her.* She looked back at Kirshana. "Why are you doing this? Why offer this?" she asked.

"We all got into a heap of trouble the last time we interfered in the dimensions," Kirshana said firmly. "But I got into more trouble than you.'

"That's because you started it," NutMeg retorted.

Kirshana just shot her a cold glare. "Yes. It is because I started it." She looked at Cynamin and couldn't help but grin. "Let's just say I'd rather lose gracefully and get the chance to defeat you in the next round than be grounded for eternity. So do we have a deal?"

"Deal," Cynamin replied. "But you have to do the spell now, and promise *never* to undo it.

Kirshana nodded. "Fine." With that she stood back, gathered herself up, took a deep breath, and wiggled her fingers. "There, done. Now I'm out of here while I'm still free to do so." With that, she vanished.

"I don't get it," Xander looked confused. "What did she do?"

"She made Angel human," NutMeg replied nonchalantly.

The entire group turned their attention on Angel and Buffy. Angel was still sitting on the ground, his eyes wide and a small half smile on his face. He was quite obviously breathing.

Buffy dropped on her knees to the ground beside him, and Angel flashed her a brilliant grin. Buffy let out a little, unintelligible cry, her hands fluttering around him as if she was afraid to touch him and find out it wasn't real. Finally she pressed her hand to his chest. She met his gaze and smiled broadly as she felt the movement of his chest with breath and beneath that a heartbeat.

Angel laughed in delight and caught her in a sudden, passionate kiss.

Sunnydale, California
Once you come, you'll never want to leave
That's because you can't

Cynamin smiled at the scene before her and her sister as they said their goodbyes. Her favorite image was that of Angel and Buffy snuggled close together. They both had things to work out, but they definitely looked happy. Especially now that Angel was human. He was even more handsome in daylight, if that was possible.

*I wonder what the writer's are going to do next week,* NutMeg spoke into her mind.

*Who knows,* Cynamin smiled. *But they can't undo what's been done. They'll just have to live with it.*

NutMeg grinned. *You know, this wasn't such a bad idea after all,* she said. *Coming here.*

Cynamin couldn't help but smile back. *It wasn't, was it?*

Standing hand in hand, Buffy and Angel were the last to give their goodbyes to the sister goddesses. "Thank you," Buffy said sincerely.

"Don't thank us," Cynamin said back. "We didn't do anything. You managed this all by yourselves."

"Well, except the spell part," NutMeg piped up. "Kirshana actually did that."

Angel was still smiling and seemed a bit hesitant to speak. "Speaking of the spell...?"

"Yes?" Cynamin asked quickly.

He looked uncomfortable. "You know, the same reasons that I gave this up the last time are still there."

"Are they?" NutMeg grinned. "We said you're human. We *never* said you were a *weak* mortal, or that there were any dire prophesies that came along with this little gift did we?"

"Well, no," Angel said pensively, obviously thinking that little statement over.

"Just for once, Angel," Cynamin said gently, "Let things work themselves out. You have a lot of friends here, whether they'll admit they are or not, who will help you."

"So no doing anything stupid," Buffy hissed in his ear.

Angel had to chuckle at that.

"We should probably get going," Cynamin sighed. "And hope that Kirshana hasn't said anything that will get *us* in trouble!"

Buffy looked at her for a moment, as if pondering something. "Can I ask a favor?"

"Of course," the goddess replied.

"Stop spying on my intimate moments. Just...change channels or something."

NutMeg giggled as Cynamin blushed.

"I'm...just going to get out of here before I embarrass myself further, she muttered. NutMeg's giggles changed into outright laughter.

With a wave of goodbye, both goddesses vanished in twin flashes of light that were almost entirely for show.

Buffy smiled up at Angel and leaned against him even more. "So do we thank them, or have Will create an anti-goddess protection spell?"

"I think you'd have to make it big enough to cover the planet," the now-human replied, gazing down into her deep green eyes. "Personally, I'll thank them every night for the rest of my life."

Interdimensional Something-or-other
Home to more than a few super powers
You can only imagine the sibling rivalry

Cynamin and NutMeg stood in their home moments later, looking at each other with matching grins. They were *way* too proud of themselves.

"We did good," NutMeg said after a moment.

"Yeah, we did."

"Do you think we'll have a hard time keeping what we did from the Elders?"

Cynamin shrugged. "As long as Kirshana keeps her mouth shut, I don't see any problem."

"But do you really think she'll keep her yap shut?"

"It's not a *yap,*" came a voice from nowhere. Kirshana appeared beside them. "And I value my freedom too much to go telling the Elders about some silly little scheme you two cooked up to make the world obnoxiously sappy and perfect. I'd get in trouble for following you down there in the first place instead of reporting you!"

"Following us?!" NutMeg said quickly. "The how were your vampires all ready to attack us when we arrived?"

Kirshana grinned knowingly. "I have my ways."

NutMeg was about to retort when she noticed that Cynamin was sneaking out of the room. "Where are you going?"

The other goddess grinned. "Buffy's on!"

NutMeg smiled slightly, and for once she and Kirshana had something to agree about. "Some things never change do they?"

Kirshana laughed lightly. "Never," she said, and the three of them went back to watching their favorite dimension.

The End

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