Part Five
“My love, take my breath away.
My
love, take my breath away.”
Their last day in Ireland was cool and misty, threatening rain. The air felt almost uncomfortably damp, but it didn’t matter. Everything else was just too right for the weather to stop their happiness.
They walked along the waterfront, hand in hand. They didn’t say anything, but they didn’t really need to. Buffy couldn’t help but grin. The hand that she held was warm – fully human warm. She’d never felt anything so delightful.
Buffy was not worried about whether or not things would stay this way. This was how things were. She was resolved to just enjoy it. Let others do the worrying.
”Buffy!” Willow’s voice was panicked. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you. We’re all going nuts here.”
Buffy chuckled slightly at her friend’s panic. Now that things had worked themselves out, that panic just seemed so foreign.
“Huh?” Willow asked, startled by Buffy’s laughter. “What? I don’t...?”
“It’s okay, Will,” Buffy assured her.
“But it’s not!” Willow protested. “I mean...”
“Everything is okay now,” Buffy interrupted, enunciating slowly.
“What...? You mean Angel...?”
“Is back to normal,” Buffy said. She grinned, looking at her husband across the hotel room. He was standing in the window, the setting sun bathing his entire form. Buffy could see his clear reflection in the glass. He was smiling. “Better than normal, actually.”
Willow was still confused. “He’s feeling better?”
“Um, yeah,” Buffy said with a laugh. “He’s completely, 100 percent human now.”
“What?!” Willow shrieked. Buffy could hear startled reactions in the background.
The ex-vampire in question could not miss Willow’s reaction either, and turned away from the window. He came to stand behind Buffy, his hands placed lightly on her shoulders as she continued to talk. “You heard me,” Buffy said, leaning back into his chest. “We don’t have the faintest clue why, but one moment he was sick, the next - poof - no more demon.”
“You mean it?”
Buffy nodded even though Willow couldn’t see her. “Uh huh. No more problems with crosses or sunlight, no cravings for blood, normal reflection and body temperature....”
“Oh, wow,” Willow managed. “So, uh, I guess you don’t need us to be in full research mode anymore.”
In the background, Buffy could hear Xander say, “Oh, man!” in mock disappointment.
“Actually...we could still use a little research,” Buffy said. “It’s just not so urgent anymore.”
“What is it?”
“Well, it would be kind of nice to know how this happened,” Buffy explained.
Willow chuckled. “Got it,” she said.
“Thanks, Willow.”
“No problem,” Willow replied. “Just, you know, I want details when you get home.”
Buffy grinned. “See you soon.”
For a moment, the sun worked its way out from behind the clouds. It warmed them both like a blessing. Angel squeezed Buffy’s hand lightly. She looked up at him to see him smiling into the sunlight.
After a second, he met her gaze. His expression was the most carefree she had ever seen – well and truly happy. That warmed her far more than she sunlight ever could have.
“Are you ready to go home?” Buffy asked gently.
Though she didn’t think it was possible, Angel’s smile got even wider. “Yeah,” he said. He looked out over the water of Galway Bay for one last time. “Home.”
Home. Their home. Exhausted and jet-lagged though they were, it was a delightful sight. Buffy couldn’t help but grin. This was their first time in their home as husband and wife. It wasn’t big and it wasn’t fancy, but it was theirs.
At the doorway, smiling as well, Angel abruptly let go of his large suitcase.
“What...?” Buffy asked, startled...and was suddenly and quite literally swept off her feet. “Angel!” she shrieked from her new perch in his arms. “What are you doing?”
He was grinning from ear to ear. “Carrying the bride over the threshold,” he declared, keeping one arm securely around her as he reached for his keys.
“Let me.” Buffy slipped her hand into his pocket and pulled them out. Smiling still, she put the key into the lock and Angel used his side to open the door. It swung open easily and....
“Surprise!” The small living room was packed with their joint friends.
Angel, startled, stumbled in the doorway.
“Don’t drop me!” Buffy yelped – to the laughter of her friends that heard her.
“I won’t,” Angel said calmly, putting her back on her feet inside the apartment.
“What are you guys doing here?” Buffy asked at last as Angel ducked back outside to grab the luggage.
Willow stepped forward and smiled. “We missed you,” she said. “We all wanted to welcome you home.”
Angel looked a bit befuddled as he closed the door behind him. “How did you all get in here?” he asked, confused.
Buffy’s mother held up a spare key.
“You gave your mom a key?” Angel asked Buffy in a whisper.
“For emergency use only,” Buffy said loud enough for everyone to hear her. “Not that it’s not nice to see you all, but we have been in the air and on the road for...I don’t even know how long anymore...and we’d really like to rest.”
Xander chuckled in obvious disbelief. “Sure that’s what the two of you had planned....”
Buffy felt herself blushing furiously. “It was!” she declared.
Xander wasn’t the only one who chuckled at that.
“You guys....” Buffy tried again.
Giles cleared his throat to gain her attention. “We also came because we thought you might want to know what we discovered...regarding Angel’s state.”
The entire mood of the room seemed to change. Buffy felt her stomach clench in nervousness and Angel stood behind her quickly in support. “Good news or bad?” Buffy asked urgently.
“Good news,” Giles assured her.
Willow was grinning and nodding along.
Buffy let out a small sigh of relief. Side by side, she and Angel made their way to the couch and waited for the rest of the story to be told.
After a long moment of tense silence, Angel spoke. “Is it permanent?” he asked quickly.
“Yes,” Giles assured them both, and only then did Angel relax as well.
“So what is it, you guys?” Buffy asked urgently. “What happened?”
Willow gave a slightly embarrassed smile. “I...it was partially my fault.”
Buffy couldn’t help a small smile. “What did you do this time?” she asked, half teasing.
“Nothing!” Willow said quickly. “I mean...nothing you didn’t already know about. Just the initial joining spell.”
Buffy was confused. “But...it’s been months since then.”
Willow nodded. “Long term effects?” she said helplessly. “At least it’s a good one, right? Unexpected but good. Right?” She looked to Angel for reassurance.
“It’s good,” he said. “So what happened?”
“Well...we didn’t think about how...unique you both are. I mean, sure Angel’s all special ‘vampire-with-soul,’ but...I kinda didn’t take into account Slayer stuff.”
“Slayer stuff?” Buffy prompted.
“It’s mostly guess, mind, but...we think that once the spell bound your lives together...whatever it is that makes you the Slayer went after what made him a demon,” Willow finished explaining.
“So...that’s it?” Buffy asked, surprised at the explanation.
“We think your wedding may have given the situation the last little push needed,” Giles added. “It means you aren’t just joined by magic, but on a deeper level as well.”
There was silence in the room for a long moment. “So,” Angel said at last, thoughtfully. “No more demon.”
“No more demon,” Giles agreed. “You do indeed seem to be fully human now.”
“And the wedding presents had nothing to do with it,” Buffy said. “I was just being paranoid.”
Xander laughed abruptly.
“What?”
He shook his head in amusement. “After you first called about the presents, Willow and I went to confront Spike.”
“You guys!” Buffy said quickly. “That’s dangerous! I can’t believe you...”
Xander shrugged. “We were careful!” he said defensively. “Besides, ol’ chip-head...he was all ‘a guy can’t give his sire a wedding present?’ which we knew was total bull.”
“It was...odd,” Angel agreed.
Willow nodded, grinning. “He finally admitted that he tried to curse the presents.”
Xander started chuckling again. “The chip wouldn’t even let him touch them after her thought of that!”
Buffy shook her head at that, amused. On some level, Spike would never change. “So,” she said at last, “I guess that’s it.”
“One other thing, actually.” It was Wesley, speaking up for the first time in the large gathering. “Mr. Giles and I do have another theory that goes along with all of this, Angel. Because it is Buffy that you’re joined to, and she already has supernatural strength and healing...we don’t think the loss of your demon means you’ll lose those advantages.”
Angel smiled. “That’s...good.”
Grinning, Buffy leaned into his shoulder. “Thanks guys,” she said to everyone gathered. “For everything.”
“It’s a big deal, isn’t it?” Willow asked, sounding amazed and happy.
“Yeah, it is,” Buffy agreed. “Kinda overwhelming.”
“Endless possibilities,” Joyce spoke up, smiling happily at her daughter. “Are you ready?”
Buffy looked at Angel and his gaze met hers. In that moment she had only the smallest inkling of what was ahead of them – the wars and victories, the good times and bad, the joys and pain. The smile they shared held joyful anticipation of all of that.
“Yeah,” she said. “We’re ready.”
The End! That's it, there ain't no more...
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