11A/N: La la la la la, oh, hello there. Ready for a new chapter? Well get ready for some full blown angst kiddos.
Disclaimer: Srsly? Again? C'mon Joss, I don't own your show! Now go sue someone else for a change!
Buffy was running. She didn't know how long she was doing it, she was just running. She needed to get to Angel, fast.
Angel was standing on the hilltop. He closed his eyes and was swamped in memories.
Strong is fighting. It's hard, it's painful, and it's everyday. It's what we have to do, and we can do it together!
"Lies," he said into the darkness.
"Angel."
The vampire turned around to see her. His love. His dead love.
"You're not real."
"Angel, listen to me. You have to come with me."
"I'm hallucinating. You're not real."
"Angel, I'm real. You're real. This is real."
"Stop. Just stop."
"Angel, please! Come inside, you have to."
"Where is she?"
"Where is who?"
"Buffy. The real Buffy. Is she- is she in heaven?"
"Angel I'm right here!"
Over his shoulder, she saw the first shoots of light signaling the sunrise.
"Angel, c'mon," she grabbed his arm and pulled him along, and Angel was too shocked to do much more than follow. She pulled him, running to the mansion, and just as the sun came up over the trees, she tackled him into the stone hall, her on top of him. He reached up and stroked her cheek.
"You're real."
"No duh," she didn't sound like she meant it though, she was breathless, and her lips came crashing down on his, his hand cupping her face and the other gripping her waist. She was here, she was real. Buffy held his unscarred, unburned, warm face in her hands. Wait, warm?
"Angel?"
"Hmm?"
He caught his breath as she rested her hand on his chest and felt the thrumming beneath her fingertips.
"Your heart..."
He felt it too.
"Angel, you're alive. You're actually alive. You can walk in the sunlight alive."
"So are you."
They looked into each others eyes, and their lips came together in a hungry passion. They pulled apart and Angel smoothed the hair off her face.
"I love you," he said.
"I love you."
Another fiery kiss, and Angel thought, This girl is going to be the death of me.