"I'll never forget, I'll never forget, I'll never forget I'll never forget I'll never . . . "

Angel squeezed his eyes tightly as he heard Buffy's voice over and over again in his ears.  Her desparation, her pleas, her anguished sobs.

(Don't let it be over, not so soon, I just found you again.. don't let this be it)

(I've made the wrong choice, oh God i've made the wrong choice)

He would never forgive himself for making her sound like that.  He felt something inside him and a whoosing noise in his ears.

(Angel..)

(Buffy..)

~

"So we'll just stick to the plan . . . keep our distance until out time is passed. Given enough time we should be able to-- "

"Forget," Angel choked out.

(As if)

(Please don't forget Buffy, you promised me you wouldn't..)

" . . . yeah.  So I'm gonna go, start forgetting.." Buffy half smiled gesturing towards the door.

"Buffy!" Angel said spontateously.

(Come back!  Let me kiss you)

"Angel," she said immediately and desparately, as she turned round quickly.

(Kiss me Angel.  There has to be more than these five minutes.. there has to)

She searched his face.

(Angel, please don't let me go, don't this be all..)

"Buffy.. I..." He started before the window shattered.  He turned round and grabbed the clock, he ducked the sword blow and went up to strike the demons jewel.

He froze.  He couldn't do it...

The demon kicked him out of the way and went straight for Buffy.

"Buf-FY!" He screamed as the demon struck her head and she crumpled to the ground.  "No!"

(BUFFFFYYYYYYY)

That was him-- his hesitation that hadn't stopped the demon and now Buffy was hurt.. because of him.. again.

(Goddammit!)

Angel fought the demon away from his tiny Slayer and it fled out the window where Angel couldn't go.  Angel ran back to Buffy and cradled her head in his lap.

"Buffy, wake up," he pleaded.  "Buffy please wake up."

(Stay with me.. don't leave Buffy)

"A-Angel?" She said as if trying on his name for the first time.

(Don't let me leave, let me stay with you)

"Yeah Buffy.  It's me, Angel," He said smoothing her hair.  She blinked and then sat up slowly.

"The demon?"

"I-I killed it," he lied.

(Liar)

"Angel."

"It escaped."

"Let's go and get it."

(Spend more time together)

"No."

(We'll make the same mistake again.. mistake?  Was it a mistake?)

"No?  Since when do you tell me what to do?"

(Since you broke up with me before Prom and I became your faithful puppy dog, thinking about not thinking about you 24/7)

"Please Buffy, trust me," he begged looking at the broken window.

(If you don't go now, we'll have lost the day for no reason)

"Trust you to what?  Immolate yourself?  Hell Angel quit being so--"  Angel turned back to Buffy and kissed her.  Buffy mumbled the last of her sentence and kissed him back, smoothing down his hair.

(Angel..)

(Buffy...)

(This is what i want..)

(This is what i need.)

"Sorry," Angel said finally pulling away.  "Sorry."

(Don't be sorry!)

"You are?" Buffy said immediately.  She saw a flash.  Of somewhere.  With Angel.  It looked like a kitchen.  And there was tea.

"Not for the kiss itself..." He trailed off sadly.

(Really, not sorry for the kiss itself)

(What is this?  Ice cream?  Table breaking.. making love.. sunlight.. human.. Angel...  I remember.. I wouldn't forget....)

"What the Hell is going on?  What day is it?"

"Buffy you know what day it is."

(Avoid eye contact.)

"Do I?  Is it the day I got here to yell at you for sneaking around behind my back or is it the day after?" She fumed.

(Boy am i gonna stake you)

Angel's mouth dropped.  "Y-you remember?"

(You weren't supposed to remember!  Thank god you do.)

"About the whole day thing?  Yeah I do.  Just when I said that there... I got it all.  What the *Hell* were you thinking?!"

(What the *Hell* was he thinking?)

"Buffy please.."

(Don't be angry Buffy....)

"No.  No.  Answer me.  Why did you do that?"

(DAMMIT ANGEL!)

"You would die..."

(I couldn't protect you.. I would hate myself if something happened because of me..)

"And?"

(DAMMIT ANGEL!)

"That's the worst thing I can think of."

(Don't cry, don't break down, stay stoic and solid.  Don't crumble)

"Being without you is the worst thing I can think of."

(It is.. Worse than apolocalypse.. worse than even Angelus)

"Buffy.."

"No.  No "Buffy".  That demon, he escaped.  Again.  So we go get him and make this right."

(Second chance)

(Second chance!)

"No.." Angel swallowed

(Stop, think.  Buffy would die...)

"I gave you up once before.  I can't do it again," Angel closed his eyes.

(It is never over!  You know that!  We have a real chance)

"You won't have to.  Now dammit, go swap bodily fluids with that Mohra demon!" She ordered.

"Buffy you're being--"

(Beautiful, defiant, cute when you're angry, strong, fearless.. irrational, stupid.)

"--Childish I know.  But I'm sick of you calling the shots.  That is unless you don't want to be human."

"I do!  I mean, I do."

"Then why?"

"I don't want you to get hurt..."

(I'm no good as human except for the part where we get to have a family, a future, food and countless sex sessions down in my apartment, shutting of the world..)

"I won't.  Please Angel.  This is like, my dream."

(This is beyond dreaming.. this is the once in eternity chance Angel that we've been waiting for.. since I first saw you.. this is what I want)

She softly kissed him.

(Give in)

"So are we gonna do this?"

(Say yes)

(Yes)

"I'm free."

"Got somewhere where I can change?"

~~~

Angel and Buffy walked in silence, into the right tunnels, remembering their footsteps from the previous time.

("I'm actually heading towards a pretty good life now--")

("Now I'm out of the picture")

(It's so not true Angel, it's so not true.  I'm the worst I've ever been.  Worse than the summer I killed you..)

"This is where you we almost kissed and argued alot," Buffy smiled as they passed that part.  Angel nodded grimly.  "Angel.. Don't you want this?"

("You had the one thing you wanted in your naturally long life and you gave it back?")

(Where the Hell did that come from?)

"I do," he sighed.  "So much of want you have no idea."

"I have a pretty good idea of want."

("I still want...")

"Is this right?  The Oracles turned back time so it would go the right way."

("What is not yet done can be avoided...")

"What is the right way Angel?  We don't know, they don't know.  We have to do what we feel is right.  And I feel this is right."

(The most of right I've ever felt in my life)

"Me too."

"So quit being a baby and fight it.  You'll regenerate yourself and I'll smash the jewel.  You live, he's smushed.  And then we can go out and get a tub of ice cream," she grinned wickedly.  Angel smiled.

(Food.. Buffy..)

This was the right thing.

~~~

When the reached the place where Angel killed the Mohra the first time, they stopped.

"Think we're early?"

"We never argued so much, so, yeah."

After he was finished, the demon attacked Buffy from behind.  Buffy flipped it over her shoulder, drawing out it's sword at the same time.  The Mohra scrambled up and faced Buffy.  She aimed for the Mohras hand and struck it, creating a large slash mark.

Then she threw the sword to Angel.

"Cut yourself!" She yelled, while roundhousing the demon and flipping it with her ankles.  Angel cut himself on his right hand and then struck the Mohra from behind.

The Buffy Angel tag team was in full swing.

"Now Angel!" Buffy ordered.  Angel threw his left fist, connecting with the Mohras jaw, putting him off balance.  Then he thrust out his right hand and grasped the demons cut hand.  Angel howled low at the mixing of the blood.

The Mohra back handed him and sent him flying into the wall.  Buffy hit the Mohras head and it fell on the ground, dazed.

"Can I kill it yet?"

"I think so."

"Don't think.. Are you.. alive?" Buffy asked dodging a low blow and pulling out a set of chains from the Mohras belt.  She strangled him with them, and stole a glance at Angel.

He fell down and then his head was raised, like something was flowing through him.  He took deep gulps of breath and then heard what he hadn't heard for the last hour.

His heart beating.

"Angel!" Buffy shrieked gritting her teeth as she struggled to hold the Mohra captive.  "Can I?"

"Do it!" Angel grinned yelling at his beloved.  He ran over and picked up his axe.  He took a steady swing at the jewel, shattering it and the Mohra screamed as it disintegrated.

Angel dropped the axe, and Buffy dropped the set of chains.  They took deep breaths and then looked up at each other.  Buffy grinned uncontrollably and stepped over the weapons between them.

"Can.. I?" She asked shyly.

(thump thump, thump thump)

Angel nodded as Buffy slipped a hand in between his shirt and his chest.

"Oh god Angel, it's beating," she smiled, nearly moved to tears.

(thump thump, thump thump)

"I know," Angel whispered kissing the top of her head.  And that set it off.  Buffy looked up and Angel kissed her softly, turning to the most passionate embrace they had ever enjoyed with each other.  Buffy pushed Angel to the sewer wall, kissing his ear and neck.  She went back to his lips, and reached for his belt.

(I want you..)

(I need you)

"Buffy, Buffy," he slowed her.  "Not here, Buffy.  Back at the apartment, please Buffy," he begged her, his eyes sparkling.

"Yeah you're right.  Sorry.  Just got a little.. y'know.. there."

(Embarrassed.  Way embarrassed.  We've had enough tales of the sewer for one romance..)

"I know what you mean.  it's just.."

"Waaay wrong setting and odour.  I get it.  Of course," she smiled almost bashful.  "I uh, hear you have a table that's not broken."

"Yet," he grinned kissing her nose and taking her hand.  "I would say I'll race you there but I'm only human."

"Oh God yes," Buffy hissed laughing.  They passed the ladder Buffy had used the previous time.

"Let's go outside.  Santa Monica pier," Buffy asked Angel grinning.  "For Almost-Forgotton-Times-Sake."

Angel kissed her in reply and let her go up first.

~~~

Buffy and Angel laughed as they walked hand in hand back through the agency front door.  Cordelia and Doyle were going through some paper work.

"What are you two doing, laughing, holding hands.  Did we forget the whole "Two Worlds Of Pain And Destruction" deal?  What's wrong, what happened?" Cordelia asks.  Angel stares at her wide eyed.  Cordelia glances at Buffy and then back to Angel.  "Oh God.  Did you do it with Buffy?"

(not yet *snigger*)

(Not yet Cordy)

Doyle moves closer to Angel, getting what's happened.

"Watch it, Doyle, don't get too close! -- hey, you walked in the front door, from the street... you've --"

"Yeah," Angel grins.

(Mortal!)

"-- got an umbrella!" She guesses, sure she's right.

"He's alive, Cordelia," Doyle says.

"Damn right he is!" Buffy says.

(Don't you have a bed Angel?  *whine*)

"Alive?" Cordelia repeats.

(Well duh.  Angel let's go downstairs...)

"This isn't the first time this day has happened.  First time a demon attacked us, our blood mixed, i was mortal.  At the end of the day I thought it couldn't be so I turned back time.  To today.  None of it happened.  Only I was supposed to remember.  But Buffy did too.  She convinced me otherwise and this time we tracked it and killed it for good.  After mixing my blood with it's again and...."

"You wound up with a pulse," Doyle says feeling his wrist.  "Well, again."

(Pulse.. attached soul.. no curse.. Hey isn't there something you can do with a curse?  Angel.. bed.. table.. against the wall... on the desk in full view of Cordy and Doyle-- I don't care just f--)

"Hey, this is just like the time Oz brought you that magic ring and you could go out in the sun and --" Cordelia reminded him.

"This is different. I'm mortal now. I have a mortal body. And... "

(I want Buffy.. before food)

"Wait I know this!" Cordelia said.  "I just got this flash.  You're gonna eat?"

Angel shook his head and kissed Buffy's head.  "Not yet."

(BuffyBuffyBuffyBuffyBuffyBuffyBuffy)

(Angel dammit, stop stalling boy.  You know your prowess from vampire to human isn't all that different.  Let's have a competition.. who can outlast who..)

"You're... ohhh," Doyle nodded.

"Uh, they're gonna have sex, probably for the fiftieth in the last 'pretend' 48 hours.  So gimme a breaky," she groaned.

(Pretty much Cor - that is if Angel get's his cute ass downstairs)

"Cordelia could you get me cookie dough fudge mint chip, strawberries, Oreos, cookies of any kind, peanut butter and chocolate..." Angel started a list.

"Anything with a yummy fattening factor," Buffy finished.

(And that you can spread and easily lick off....)

"Sure," Cordelia nodded.

"And then you can take the rest of the day off," Angel smiled.

(So you won't over hear and I can make Buffy scream as loud as I can.. *grin*)

"Like I was gonna stick around for the moaning and yelling," Cordelia quipped and grabbed her coat.  "Be back in twenty.  I'll leave the bags at the top of the stairs.  So not to disturb anything."

Doyle nodded in Cordelia's direction.  "I'm gonna go with Cordy on this one."

Then they went into a world of their own.

(Buffy)

(Angel)

"Come downstairs," Angel invited.

(Oh you don't have to ask.  You took too much time there with the before credits sequence with Cor and Doyle... you got a lot of making love to do..)

"I know the way," Buffy joked.

~~~

Lying in bed later on, Buffy listened intently at Angel's chest.

(Thump thump, thump thump)

"I want you to promise me, and this time mean it.  We will make this work," Buffy told him.  "Promise.  And keep it.  If you don't I'll hunt you down and stake you.  Human or not."

(OK so maybe I won't kill you but I will hurt you if you leave me again)

Angel chuckled and kissed her head.  "I promise Buffy."

(I intend to keep this promise for all the ones I failed to keep)

"Good.  Because I remember that last minute and how bad I felt, how I felt my whole world was collapsing around me..."

(I felt like dying)

(I felt like staking myself)

"Hush.  Let's not talk about mistakes right now Buffy."

(My mistakes)

"Your mistakes."

"My mistakes," Angel conceded.  "And you'll work on getting all that out of my system."

(Love you)

"I will," Buffy grinned.  "It's a good sound.  Thump thump, thump thump."

(Love you)

"Feels pretty amazing," he recited.

(And God so do you my love)

"I love you."

"I love you Buffy."

"I'm so sleepy. But I still want..."

(Think I'm kidding?)

"What?" Angel asked, feigning shock.  "You couldn't possibly. Not that I wouldn't..."

(I really would Buffy)

"Noo,  I'm spent. Pleasantly numb, even. You?"

(say you're not satisfied so I can..)

"For now."

(Dammit Angel *sigh*)

"I don't want to sleep in case it's like last time.. well always.  You always wake up before me and leave me.  Be it to kill a Mohra or because your howling outside in the rain."

(Please don't do that again)

"I won't leave you."

(I'll never leave you)

"I wish I could believe you Angel honey, but in case you forgot, last time you were so stubborn and pig headed that you tried to kill the Mohra and I almost lost you forever."

(And you were all smushed and my world smushed with you)

"Buffy--"

"And if you hadn't hesitated then I wouldn't be here now--"

(Thank god for procrastination)

"Buffy I will be here when you wake up.  I won't leave this bed until you open your eyes."

(Maybe I'll get in some food but other than that, I swear)

"Ok, good..  Y'know what I said about being pleasantly numb?  I lied, hunny."

(Now it comes out *giggle*)

"I'm not one to turn you down in your.. uh... moment of need."

(My Buffy)

"Angel promise me one thing.  You've promised it before but I want you to keep it," Buffy said tensing up.

(Or I'll get Willow to beat you to death)

"Yes, Buffy, I'll stay with you forever," he grinned anticipating.

(I mean it, I can't imagine being anywhere else)

Buffy relaxed.  "Well.. good.  We have some stuff to talk about afterwards.. About what happened last time you left me a wreck.  But not now."

(Like my alcohol and sex-capades - just so you won't leave again - I'm number one at the guilt trip.  Plus i can think of plenty of ways that you can make it up to me..)

Angel faked a yawn.  "What now?"

(I'll do anything for you Buffy)

"Don't play innocent," she grinned kissing him.

(Anything but my love)

"You love it," he teased caressing her face.

(I love him, his hands, his eyes, his everything)

"I love you."

"I love you."