Amor Omnia Vincit
by AngelZ

Buffy threw well timed blows to another vamp that had decided to disturb her while she finish her math homework at the moss-covered steps that led to the mausoleum entrance. It was a welcomed diversion from academic hell but none-the-less what had disturbed was part of the scum of the universe...not nice......like chewing gum that had stuck to your shoe , once a bit got stuck..everthing else tagged along. Sunnydale had a similar effect to the supernatural community. It was too much for the small minded, repressing community to actually believe that the things that went bump in the night actually existed...even though they saw them with their own eyes countless times. When you see what you think can’t believe...believe that you’re seeing things....that could almost be a motto for the town that the Spanish settlers had once dubbed Boco Del Infierno...literally the Hellmouth.

Buffy was getting bored with the idiot fanged one that was wasting her time....

"Do you have the answer to number 5....you have to use the formula 1lx squared....."

The bedraggled and badly beaten vampire looked at her...before charging towards her. She thrust the stake in her hand right into his heart. He exploded into a pile of dust...

"Well, X marks the spot..I guess."

She returned to her seat that was etched into the plant life that she was sitting on....but not before there was a large crash from the surrounding graveyard. Buffy strained her ears but the sounds seemed to have come from everywhere.

"And it’s another Tuesday night on the Hellmouth...God...do the lowlife....lowdead? weirdoes of this town never learn."

But this attack was different, it was more precise...planned to precision. From the dark shadows came even darker outlines...... this mass of evil beings seemed to drain away the light from the area as they hoped to drain the Slayer’s blood tonight. Taking a life force to sustain something not of the living always seemed so pointless. But if Buffy had anything to do with it. they’d meet the pointy end....of a stake...

They were all around her......closing in...there was no gaps to escape and too many to fight. They were dressed in ancient warrior clothing.

"Boy, you guys need to get down to the mall...it would make it so much easier is you could see what you’re wearing in the mirror." But even as she said this her words quivered under her freezing breath...And then she saw it, a small gap between the vamps...it was getting closer as they did. So she darted as fast as she could. Cold and merciless hands reached for her neck and they tightened...claws dig into her skin and blood flowed freely....it was getting darker...redder....breathing was impossible....consciousness was fading. With her last ounce of strength she managed to shake the grip..just for long enough to run...and run she did...but her attackers were in hot pursuit. With every stride Buffy took, they gained on her. She was fighting a losing battle.......if she stopped running she’d be fighting that also..but in a more literal sense. Her ragged breath cut through the pitch dark night air. The moon was her only guide. She looked down for a second as her terrain changed from the soft and malleable grass to hard tarmac. Buffy looked up and lights filled her vision. And then, a crash....it went black....the end?

Angel walked through the graveyard...he was going to visit Buffy.....he did every night even the times when she thought she was alone. He was always there to make sure that nothing happened to her. If his reason for living, his light in the dark were to fade he would die...again. He neared the entrance to the mausoleum and saw her books there. He picked one up and frowned and then proceeded to take her pen and write down the answers. What could you say? After living 242 years you have to get the hang of math eventually. He wrote a little note by them.

"Don’t tell me I never do anything for you . . . . . . I know the slaying gets in the way of school . . . . . . I’m always here for you . I love you"
Angel

He smiled and began to search for her....she couldn’t be far away...probably just some impromptu staking that had to be done. But his smile quickly dissapeared when he smelt blood, that wasn’t unusual, but it was Buffy’s blood. If she had been cut it had to be pretty bad...being the slayer and all. Angel saw that in the muddy slush there were red puddle. Hot tears stung his eyes as he feared for her life. His stomach wrenched as he began to follow the scent. It took him to the freeway. As she approached this her steps had become more laboured and they trailed and dug deeper into the ground. Along side her tracks were others. Larger ones. There must have been at least fifty but as she hit the freeway they had turned away.

Looking up he was almost blinded. Angel saw an ambulance and the area was cordoned off. He dipped under the neon tape...tape was flimsy and it had never stopped them before. He suddenly realized about how everything he ever thought now wasn’t in "I" and "me" it was "we" and them"

A small, fragile figure was strapped onto a stretcher and was being loaded onto an ambulance. If he had a heart it would have stopped at that moment. The figure was Buffy. He whispered her name in disbelief before running imediately to her side. Angel’s hand grapsed firmly onto Buffy’s. The poilice tried to stop him but Angel was to strong. The stream of questions as well as abuse that was being hurled towards him came at a steady rate.

"What relation are you to her sir?"

"I’m her....her boyfriend..."

He blinked away another onslaught of tears as he stepped into the ambulance.

Paramedic were constantly spekaing in figures and unusual abbreviations as her stretcher was pushed through the bust corridors. And still Angel held onto her hand as though she might leave and never come back if he didn’t A doctor approached and they came to a stationary position.

"What’s the sitch?"

"Female, 17, Buffy Anne Summers, struck by van at high speed. Critical condition. Head trauma and a fractured femur and internal bleeding." Angel gasped sharply as he watched her face. It was motionless and to a Slayer that was desperate. His reason for living was taking a walk along the thin line of death and life.

Buffy lay in ICU with Angel sitting on her bed. The room was deathly silent before Angel had started to speak to her. The doctors said that she could probably hear what was being said and that he should try and keep talking for as long as possible.

Giles and the rest of the Scooby gang had been alerted at what had happened but heavy traffic and a large number of diversions meant that it could be another hour before they arrived.

"Buffy? I know you can hear me.....look, you have to get better, you have to be alright. I don’t know what we’d do withouth you. What would I do without you. I was a nobody before you came along...I was close to dying.....don’t leave me. Not now, I need you with all my heart and soul. I’ll never leave you, no matter what I’ve said...I want my life to be with you. It doesn’t matter about anything around us...all that matters is that I love you. I loved you with my dying "breath"...I’ll never stop loving you."

Buffy’s eyelids flickered... "Angel." Her voice was hoarse as she pulled the tube from her throat.

Angel’s head darted up and looked straight into her beautiful eyes.

"Buffy...I thought I’d lost you...."

"I...where am I?....I know your name but I don’t know who you are....." Her eyes moved quickly from one place to another, trying to establish her surroundings.....

Angel went to speak but she stopped him.....

"You said...you said that you loved me."

"I’ve always loved you...Buffy? what’s wrong ...what’s going on?" Her eyes welled involuntary at his last few words...

A doctor passing by had already noticed that Buffy was awake and so a band of medics dressed in white coats rushed in and started to note down her monitor readings. They dragged Angel out of the door backwards...Buffy saw him leaving and shouted out.

"Angel, don’t leave me!"

These words prompted Angel to break free of the puny doctor’s hold on him and he ran to her side....

"I can’t remember anything....No.....All I can remember is you." He was like a distant memory, he existed and had something of great significnace but she couldn’t remember what.

Angel, Giles, Xander, Willow, Oz, Miss Calendar and Cordelia stood outside Buffy’s room. Xander had his faced pressed against the small glass window as he watched Buffy’s every move intently. She writhed in her sleep and her face contorted in fear.....They had all been in to visit her but she remembered no-one...not even their names........Her mother was out of the country...it would be doubtful that she would be remembered.

"An...and you ..uh ...followed her trail to the freeway where she was being put into the ambulance..." Giles was agitated..his slayer, no, she was more than that....she had been apparently hurt by nothing supernatural....but this was Sunnydale...

"If her blood was in the graveyard and her steps were as they were ..it would ..a-appear that she was running away."

Xander couldn’t supress his obvious worry. "But Buffy’s the Slayer...nothing happens to her...she finds some evil...she slays....she goes to Bronze and still finds time to get pelvic with Dead Boy."

Miss Calendar’s tone was stern. "Xander, if Buffy was running it had to be something bad...otherwise she would’ve never been hit....."

"Yeah, but ..uh....what about you" He pointed accusingly at Angel "Shouldn’t you have been looking after her...."

"I was there to see how she was......I waited for her when I found her study gear....stuck on "Volume of a Pyramid"......And then I smelt blood..her blood...I tracked her down to where I expected to see her dusting of some of the bigger vamps...her being hurt and all.....but I found her in an ambulance....."

"But she’s come round and everything....right."

"The doctor said it was amnesia...but they didn’t know why she remembered my name.....I was just talking to her...."

Giles cut him off, "What did you say to her?"

"It’s kinda private..." Angel replied awkwardly.

"We have to know...we don’t know why it triggered some of her memory."

"I ..uh...told her...that I needed her and that I loved her.....that I’d never leave her."

That kind of straight out honest answer warrented no reply......even if anyone would have said anything they were cut short by Buffy screaming out Angel’s name. He seemed to be the only thing that she found comfort in, in this strange new world... Angel ran to her.

"Are you okay?"

"Bad....dream.....I just feel safer with you here." She blurted.... She looked embarrassed....."So....tell me about me..."

"What the others tell you."

"Zip...zilch...nada..nyet"

"Well, I really don’t..."

"Just tell me.." She cut him off.

"Okay ...um..I’ll start with the basics...you’re Buffy Anne Summers, 17 years old. You live in Sunnydale, California....but you moved here a year ago from L.A...Your mother is called Joyce and your father is Hank..they’re divorced and you go to Sunnydale High, the local school."

"Okay....why did I move from L.A?"

"Well, you ...uh...got in with the ..wrong crowd..."

"Hmm, I think you’re lying....I mean not in bad way...not that lying is good...I just have a feeling you’re omitting some of the truth........Right you know me....obviously quite well from what you were saying....." Angel smiled. "But we’ll get to that later....who are those people who I know.?..."

"There’s Xander."

"The geeky one."

"Yeah that’s him....Willow."

"His girlfriend."

"No...how did you get to that....? They’re just good friends...You see, Xander goes out with Cordelia."

"The one who says ‘ewww’."

"Yep....Willow is with Oz...."

"Right...oh. I get it...But then who’s the older guy?"

"That’s Giles...Your Wa...I mean librarian...."

"My librarian is visting me? What a guy........he’s not stalking me is he?"

"No...you’re good friends."

"And you? Why are you the only one who I remember?...and you were saying all that stuff before I came round.....I heard you....you said you loved me."

"I do.....we’re...were going out...and then we had a fight and then we’re kinda together again...but not..."

"When I look into your eyes I see me...and when I look past those eyes I see the same......."

He held her hand tenderly.....but the claddagh ring fell from her finger...Angel immdiately picked it up and handed it back to her......

"That’s a pretty ring..." She noticed that on the hand that held her ring there was a matching one...

"It’s a claddagh ring...the hands repressnt friendship..the crown represents loyalty and heart..well y’know...when you wear it with the heart pointing inwards it means that your heart belongs to somebody."

She moved his hand in front of her..."Who do you belong to?"

"You...."

"And I belong to......you."

As Buffy dreamt, images flashed through her mind..just like they had done earliar when she called out for Angel. But these were strange....feelings of panic struck her at every turn as hideous creatures attacked her...but she wasn’t getting wasted by them...she was wasting them.....some turned into dust...some just fell to the floor....but they all died at her hands....Mr. Giles appeared before her...he was lecturing her....that kinda made sense...being a librarian and all but the lecture material was a little strange. Occult topics and demon legends...

Then there was Angel...she was kissing him, they were in a graveyard...and then they were on a bed...she was cold but his touch warmed her to the heart. She felt safe with him in her scary dream as she did with him when she was conscious.... He was her security......Then they were at the ice rink....she traced his features with her hands....he was like the monsters......but he was different ....she kissed him....

"Sorry..just dozed off there for a minute....." Buffy stated with heavy eyes.

Angel was grinning..."As I noticed...look maybe I should get going..." Angel stood and turned to leave.

"No..just stay a little longer....."

He sat back down again..."I’ve been have some freaky dreams...and well, I’m not sure if they relate anything to my life....I mean...the imagary is abstract but it’s recurring."

"Shoot."

"Okay, well.....guys that explode into dust...am I like in a film of something?"

"...You really have to keep an open mind for this bit....Um...they were vampires..."

"How did you know?"

"Never mind....who..er made them go into dust..?"

"Me."

"So...let’s piece this together for you...somebody who slays vampires would be?"

"A vampire slayer."

"And who was slaying them?"

"Me...Oh I get it...no..wait a minute....I’m A VAMPIRE SLAYER!" She looked disbeliving.

"Did I just say that?....The words came out naturally enough but the meaning worries me..."

"Maybe this is too much for you...."

"Carry on....Who knows?" Her voice was still cynical in tone.

"Willow, Xander, Giles, Miss Calendar, Me....some unlucky vampires..."

"What about my mom...?"

"Yeah...sure your mom’s seen them but she does this little repressing act so she’s probably forgotten."

"Just one more question.....can you tell me about us...? I mean realy."

"Well, when we first met I kinda just warned you of the evil stuff heading for town...but one night I saved you and you helped me recover from my wounds...and we kinda kissed...but I...." He contemplated over what to say but she finished the sentence for him.

"...vamped out."

"What? How did you know?"

"I had dreams...about you...us."

"Look I have to tell you...."

"You don’t have to...you’re not like the others..I can feel it....You have..."

"A soul... I was cursed with one...the problem was...I had one moment of true happiness."

"With me...right?

"Yes....I loved...love you utterly and I knew that you loved me....but the curse was broken and I ...lost my soul...the things I....he said to you....My alter ego tried to end the world.....you saved it..the only way you could...you sent me to hell..."

"But I sent him right?"

"No...My soul was restored before you killed me and we had one last exchange before you did what you had to."

Through their tears they continued..

"But...you’re here..with me now..?"

"I was sent back here..with soul...and...I came back to you."

"How could you forgive me after what I did....?"

"I love you...with everything I have...I’d give this all up just for one moment with you."

"I knew you...before.....and now...I’ve only just met you....but...it....it feels like a lifetime."

Okay...so even if Buffy didn’t believe the vampire thing she had to now....because an idiotic one flew threw the window..making a well..ahem...less than graceful entrance. Angel passed a cross to Buffy that was wrapped in cloth.

"Here take this."

The vampire was a bit of a seventies throw back....and his wit seemed to come from a....non-existant wit kinda era...actually all he said...or...hissed was."sssslllaayer.." He wasn’t clever enough to be looking for Buffy. Just an easy meal....this was a public building...poor guy picked the wrong room.

Angel then removed a stake from his pocket and dusted the vamp quickly....

Behind him...Buffy looked at him wide eyed....."I’m a believer."

"You should be after that....."

"And I do...the." She gestured wildly as she tried to think of the word..."the ..uh..thing with the stake.."

"The slaying...? Yep."

By now nurses ahd come to see what the commotion was...they were a little angry at Angel..He was told off for staying too long. As he left he spoke for the last time.

"I’ll see you tommorrow after sunset."

"Bye."

The slayer’s healing powers had been the only thing that had given her any hope. An ordinary person would have long died but as it was her powers had just about kept her in the "I’m alive..unlike most of the residents in Sunnydale" catergory. She was actually allowed to return home after a few weeks. Angel would stay with her as soon as the sun went down...She was possibly remembering a few things....She remembered she killed vampires..but in this fresh look on life...she saw things differently ..well almost...She still thought that nothing could stop her and Angel.

Maybe she was right.

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