Title: Afterlife
Part title: Mirrored

Author: GMB loves Angel

Spoilers: Iwry (as always), the last four eps of Angel season 2, the bachelor party, Hero, the gift... that's kinda it...

Rating: PG-13

Timeline: A few months after the gift...

Authors notes: This fic series will go between two worlds. Here's my version of what happened after the gift... I admitt it I'm completely hung up in Pylea... Iwry happened a season after than it did in the show...

Dedication: To Dawnie, for her wish for a new part... And to Sarah Mclachlan, because her CD, Fumbling Towards Extacy is playing in the background and it's very inspiring...

Buffy had tears in her eyes. They were standing out in the sun, in an opening of the forest, that was where it was going to happen. Buffy carried Lucy in her arms. The baby had adjusted to her. She should be amazed over seeing him in the sun, but she knew that it wasn't just happiness now. Angel was going to fight a fight, that he might not win. And the worst thing about it was that the cost would be his life. Cordelia and Doyle had worked the entire night to get the ritual ready and now it was time to do it. Angel bent forward, kissing Buffys cheek, before giving Lucy a peck before he lay down on the soft grass.

- You have to promise me, he said to Buffy. - Promise me that if I loose, you will stake him, when he returns to the body. Don't doubt it. If I loose now I will never return, but if I win, he'll never return.

Buffy nodded, tears in her eyes.

- I love you, she whispered.

- I love you, too. Don't you ever forget that.

- Sounds to me that you think you've already lost…

- I don't. I just want to make sure you know it.

- I know…

She didn't want to watch the fight, but she knew she had to, if not, she wouldn't know who won. She sat down beside him, holding his hand. He squeezed and sent her a smile. If only she could be as certain. Doyle and Cordelia did the ritual. Angel fell into a deep slumber. She wondered if this was the last she would see of him. Him sleeping? In front of her, she saw two forms slowly materializing. On her right she saw the ugly, green demon, which showed her the true face of Angelus. On her left she saw Angel, but he was different. He had longer hair and he had a spark in his eyes that Buffy hadn't seen before. She understood that this had to be how Angel was before he was turned. This were the two parts before they were joined. The demon charged and within seconds Angel had his first wound. A cut in the forehead. Buffy would have covered her eyes, if it hadn't been for that she needed both arms to hold Lucy. The demon charged again, but this time, Angel got away, but he didn't manage an attack on Angelus.

This was not a fair fight. Buffy knew it and she wanted more than anything to help. All of a sudden the demon ran in her direction and she didn't manage to get out of the way, but the demon ran right through her and so did Angel. What had been written in the book was correct. She couldn't help Angel, no matter how much she wanted to and she couldn't be hurt by any of the two in their fight. All she could do was wait.

Angelus didn't only have the strength, but he also had claws which functioned as a powerful weapon against Angel. As she thought it Angel got an other cut, this time in his stomach. Buffy felt tears running down her cheek. Lucy noticed her mother becoming stressed and started to fuss. Taking her eye off the fight to comfort Lucy, she went back to watching after two minutes. Then she noticed that also Angelus was hurt. Though, not very much. But just to see that Angel had managed to hurt Angelus, gave her hope. She squeezed his hand, though she was sure he couldn't feel it.

Angelus charged at Angel and Angel catched the arm and moved quickly. Buffy didn't know how strong the real Angel was, but she just focused on thinking positive things, as she was trying to reach him telepathically. Somehow, Angel seemed to fight better and better. Angelus got more and more wounds and seemed to tire out. There was hope. The harder she focused, the better Angel fought, until he fought like her. Then it was like she too was in some kind of trance. She felt him. It was all a blur, she felt weakened. And after a while it was all a blur, the feelings, the seeing, the hearing. She had no longer a clue what was going on. When she woke up there was someone standing above her. When her eye sight returned, she saw it was him. First she wasn't sure which one he was, but none of her senses alerted any danger. When he bent down and kissed her, she knew. She felt his heart beat. He had won. This was Angel, Angel the human. Angelus was dead, for good.

- You won, she whispered, when the kiss ended.

- You both won, lower beings, a voice said.

Buffy sat up and right in front of her, she saw the two oracles. They didn't really stand. More like floated above the ground. Maybe they didn't like the grass, Buffy concluded.

- What do you mean, Buffy asked.

- A long time ago, when you were on the verge of crossing over, Angel filled you with his essence. He gave you a piece of him and because of that you lived. Since then a piece of him has always lived in you. You've become literally soul-mates. Today, you returned it along with your powers, on the contrary of his gift, yours is only temporary. They will return to their rightful host. No slayer was called after you, because you were meant to return. But your death was necessary for his life to come to be. You have always been an individe. There were never meant to be two slayers, but your temporary crossing over made it happen. However your duty is no longer yours. The power still lies in you, but the mission you carry will only be yours, and yours alone. You are released from your fielty. We said death was your gift, but in reality, life is. It's only that your life comes from your death.

They started to fade away. But Buffy needed them to stop.

- Wait! Please, there's something I need…

- Aren't you pleased with your gifts?

- I am, but it's something else I need. I need to forget.

- For get what, lower being?

- You gave us a question each. Doyle asked on my behalf and I need you to take back the answer. I don't want to know anymore. You said yourself that knowledge could be a curse and you're right. I want to make sure that Angel and I will end up together after death and the only way to do that is to forget. I got one piece when I came here, the rest of the puzzle was solved by your words, please, let me take it apart and put it back into the box. A part of life is the puzzle, is wondering about it. I don't want to know my future. Because, a great part of it, is making it yourself…

- It shall be done, the female Oracle said.

Then they disappeared from view and the four of them was left alone. Ok, there was a fifth one in the edge of the forest watching. Groo had loved her from the moment he saw her. But he could see how happier she looked with that man. Somehow he had always known that he had never had his princess's heart, not fully. But it didn't bother him. He wanted her to be happy, which she was with him.

Doyle looked up the book on the spell to open the portal. There had been a reason for why they had chosen this meadow. It was the hot spot. Angel watched the love of his life and their little girl with nothing, but love in his heart. He placed his arm around her.

- Are you ready to leave?

- Yeah. I've been here for so long, but this was never my home. Home is where you are, where you both are, she added, taking her last look around before the portal swallowed them, leading them home.

AN: What do you think? Did you like this ending? Please send me feedback. I live for it. For it and writing of course… Thank you again Dawnie for giving me a push. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have gotten to finish this.