Buffy and Angel looked over the parchment again. There it was, everything they had ever wanted. “I’ve gotta tell Willow, she can probably do this, in fact I’m sure she can,” she squealed.

“Okay,” Angel said and put her back down on her feet. Buffy went into the room she shared with Willow, but came back out again “Forgot, she went to see her friend.”

“Nevermind, there’s a few things I want to do before we do the spell anyway,” Angel told her.

“It’s got to be done on the new moon anyway, I think it was full moon just a couple of days ago,” she said with a pout.

Angel took her into his embrace “There’s something you should do to.”

“We could just invite him to our wedding,” Buffy suggested.

Angel laughed “Dear Riley, your invited to the wedding of your ex and her ex. By the way we’ve broken up.”

“I’ll speak to him in the morning, right now, I wanna go to sleep,” Buffy said snuggling into his chest.

“It’s nearly sunrise, I think I could go to sleep too,” Angel commented.

Buffy looked towards her dorm room, “I’ve only got a single bed.”

“The floor again?” Angel asked and rolled his eyes.

“I know somewhere we could go,” Buffy said.

Buffy quietly unlocked the door and led Angel inside. “Don’t you think Joyce will mind if her daughter, who is meant to be at College, brings her vampire ex home because she only has a single bed on campus?” Angel asked.

“I’ll explain later,” Buffy said with a yawn “right now, I say we go to bed.”

“Sounds good,” Angel replied and quietly they both tip toed up the stairs and into Buffy’s old bedroom. They fell asleep curled up in each other’s arms.

To say that Joyce Summers got a shocked when she impulsively (still getting use to the fact that her baby daughter had gone away to College) opened Buffy’s door and found her daughter curled up in Angel’s arm was an understatement. But she was waiting for them when they arose in the afternoon and came downstairs. Joyce put down her newspaper, 

“Buffy, how nice to see you, Angel.”

“Mum, hi. This must look really bad,” Buffy stammered.

“I’m sure a simple explanation would clear things up,” Joyce replied.

“I thought you had work today,” Buffy said.

“The Gallery’s being painted today,” Joyce answered.

Buffy and Angel sat down on the couch opposite Joyce. “I needed somewhere to stay, I couldn’t drive back, I was going to hit sunrise,” Angel offered. 

“Fair enough, though, just out of curiosity, why were you here, I thought you left? And why aren’t you at school Buffy?” Joyce asked.

Buffy took a deep breath, “Well, there’s this guy I met at College called Riley, um, he’s really nice. And we…”

“I think I’ll make some tea,” Angel said and went out to the kitchen.

Angel left it a good 15 minutes before he came back into the lounge room. Joyce was looking a bit flustered and Buffy was looking at her feet a lot. Angel put down the tray, everyone got themselves a cup then the awkward silence resumed.

“So, looking forward to becoming human then?” Joyce asked.

“Yeah, it should be good,” Angel replied. 

Then the phone rang, “I’ll get it,” Joyce said quickly and left the room to answer the phone.

“I thought it was the English that made tea at awkward moments,” Buffy said.  

 “Haven’t you ever heard of Irish Breakfast Tea?” Angel asked.

Joyce came back and said “There’s a problem at the Gallery, I’ll speak to you later Buffy. And I’ll see you soon I presume, Angel.”

“Yes, I’ll see you then Mrs. Summers,” Angel replied.

“Yeah, seeya mum,” Buffy replied.

Joyce walked out, only to return a moment later “Angel, call me Joyce.”

Cordelia greeted Angel as he entered Angel Investigations, “God, would it have killed you to call and tell us your okay. You get a phone call and just take off!”
 
“We were worried,” Wesley summerised.
 
“Sorry, a lot of stuff happened,” Angel said.
 
“Like what? What did she do to you?” Cordelia asked.
 
“Nothing. She, if you mean Buffy, did nothing,” Angel snapped.
 
“Touchy, who did something horrible then?” Cordy asked.
 
“Xander,” Angel answered.
 
“What’s new,” Cordelia commented and went back to her computer.
 
“Xander has a habit of annoying everyone I fear,” Wesley said. 
 
“He gave me this,” Angel said pulling the spell from his pocket and giving it to Wesley, “he said he’d had it for a while.”
 
Wesley adjusted his glasses and looked at the parchment, “Oh my.”
 
“What is it?” Cordelia asked.
 
“A spell to make a vampire human,” Wesley replied.
 
“What,” Cordelia said amazed, coming over and looking herself “Does Bufy know?”
 
“Yes,” Angel replied.
 
“Are you going to do this spell?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“Then are you going to move back to Sunnydale?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“Can I have a third of the profits from selling the contents of this place?”
 
“Yes, wait. No, maybe, I don’t know.”
 
“Have you even thought about how this effects me and Wesley?”
 
“I know what you’re saying Cordelia and I understand that you upset,” Angel said softly.
 
“Do you? You guys are my family, now you’re gonna leave.”
 
“It doesn’t mean we still won’t see each other,” Angel pointed out.
 
“Besides Cordelia,” Wesley said, “We don’t have to close down. A lot of the work we do is research, we’re good at that.”
 
Hiding a smile Cordelia said  “You’re not helping, I’m trying to talk him out of it.”
 
Angel and Wesley laughed and so did Cordy. Angel pulled out a bottle of champagne from the fridge and said, “Here’s to Angel Investigations.” Cordelia got out three glasses and poured everyone some.
 
“The past,” Cordelia said.
 
“And the future,” Wesley added.

She knew it. Buffy knew she couldn’t put it off any longer. “Riley, hi,” she said as she saw him in the hall.
 
“Buffy. How are you,” he asked nervously.
 
“Ah, okay,” she replied.
 
“I have to tell you something.”
 
“What.”
 
“The Initive want me to fight in Central America. I think it’s probably best if I go.”
 
“For how long.”
 
“I don’t know. More than or a year or two, there’s no human contact.”
 
“If you think that’s the best thing, you should go.”
 
“I may never see you again.”
 
“Well, at least we finished with a bang,” Buffy said.
 
“Yeah.”
 
“Good bye Riley,” Buffy said and kissed him on the cheek.
 
“Good bye Buffy,” Riley said and walked away.
 
Willow came over from the student lounge where she’d been watching, “How did it go?”
 
“He’s going to fight in Central America. I didn’t even have to tell him.”
 
“Probably best,” Willow said “I mean, how many times did I say ‘you can’t be serious’ when you told me?”
 
“Six, I think,” and with that the two best friends went to class.

Xander came over and saw Buffy that afternoon “Hey Buff.”
 
“Hi, you’ll never guess what Angel found,” Buffy said cheerfully.
 
“A spell to make him human,” Xander said.
 
“Or maybe you could.”
 
“He didn’t tell you how he got it did he?”
 
Buffy paused, “No, he didn’t.”
 
Xander took a deep breath, “I gave it to him.”
 
“Xander what are you saying?”
 
“I’ve had it for months, since before he left.”
 
Tears welled up in Buffy’s eyes, “No, even you couldn’t do that. I know for some stupid reason you hate him, but you wouldn’t do that to me.”
 
“Buffy, I’m sorry, I-”
 
“Get out,” Buffy cut him off, “Before I throw you out.” With that Xander left and Buffy curled up on her bed and cried.

None was impressed with what Xander had done. But Buffy was the only one not talking to him. It really made the whole Scoobie-gang-pizza-night quite depressing. Not exactly what Willow had in mind for introducing Tara to her friends. But everyone was cool with Tara, so it could have been worse. Eventually Buffy decided to go home early, she said goodbye, to everyone except Xander, and left.

As Buffy walked home she felt a vampire behind her, she spun around and kicked it sending it sprawling across the ground. “Hi Buffy,” Angel groaned as he got up.
 
“Oh my god, Angel, I didn’t know it was you, I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have crept up on me like that,” She snapped.
 
“Yeah, sorry,” he said. He pulled her into his embrace “what’s wrong?”
 
“I found out where you get the spell.”
 
“Oh, you and Xander still talking,” Angel joked.
 
“No. I may never talk to him again.”
 
They sat down on a park bench, “You can’t stay angry at him forever.”
 
“Yes, I can. I don’t believe he would keep it a secret. I mean, you wouldn’t of had to leave and all that heartache wouldn’t of had to happen. He knew how lonely and depressed I was without you,” she replied.
 
“Maybe it was for the best,” Angel offered.
 
“What,” Buffy spat.
 
“Well, I know I’ve learnt a lot, I can socialize better. And most importantly, being without you has shown me how much I want and need to be with you.” He leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss.
 
“I guess in a way,” Buffy said, “A small, stupid way, mind you.”
 
“We’re together now, and soon I’ll be human and we can have… picnics in the sunshine.”
 
“Not my first thought,” Buffy said with a seductive smile.
 
“No, not mine either,” Angel replied.

Xander was woken by a gentle knock at his door. He looked at his clock, it was nearly 2am. He slowly got up and opened his door, “Buffy,” he said surprised.
 
“Hi, sorry it’s late. Can we talk?”
 
“Sure. Come in.”
 
“I just want to say I’m sorry. I went over board. But in a way, it probably was better, that Angel and I had the time apart, it brought us closer. Not that it was your intention, I’m sure.”
 
“No, I’m sorry. I was stupid and immature and incredibly Xander like.”
 
“Okay, were both sorry, you wanna hug an make up?”
 
“Okay,” Xander said and they gave each other a hug.

During the next week Angel moved from LA back into the mansion on Crawford St, during that week Buffy moved into the mansion on Crawford St too. 

On the night of the new moon, Willow and Tara were busy setting up the sacred circle for the spell in the courtyard of the mansion, while Buffy and Angel were waiting inside. “Nervous?” Buffy asked.
 
“A little, you.”
 
“Very.”
 
Angel took her tightly in his embrace, “Don’t be, it’s going to be all right.”
 
“I know,” Buffy replied, even though her stomach had turned to mush because she was so nervous.
 
Willow came inside, “We’re ready to start.”
 
Buffy took a deep breath, “Okay, lets go.”
 
“Yeah.”

Buffy and Angel followed Willow outside. A large circle of candles stood in the middle of the courtyard while herbs and crystals had been scattered in and around it. Tara lit the final incense stick and said “Angel, you need to, to get in the circle, sitting, down,” she stammered. New people made her nervous and this was a complicated spell.
 
Buffy looked at Willow, “What do I do.”
 
“Look pretty, out of the circle,” she told her.
 
Angel gave her a quick kiss, “I love you,” he told her and went and sat cross-legged in the center of the circle. 
 
Buffy gave him a weak smile even though the nervousness was turning her insides to jelly.
 
Willow took a deep breath, and began chanting:

 I call upon the spirits of the North and South, West and East,
 To change this creature from a beast.
 Come forth the power of water and fire,
 To return the gift from his Sire.
 Arise the power of Wind and Earth,
 To aid me in this creatures rebirth.
 God and Goddess attend to me,
 Attend this vampire that I see.
 His blood is cold, give it some heat,
 His heart has stopped, make it beat.
 His pulse did go, his breath did leave,
 Return it now, let him breathe.
 The gift of life, I ask you to give,
 Make him human, let him live.
God and Goddess here my plea,
 As I will it, So mote it be.

The air around the circle crackled and hissed. A white flashed filled the air, causing everyone to close their eyes. There was a bang, and Buffy opened her eyes just to see Angel fall to the ground. “Angel,” she called and ran toward the circle.
 
“No,” Willow said and held her back, “You just have to wait.”
 
“I can’t I have to see that he’s all right,” she sobbed. She looked towards the fallen figure, lying deadly still. Suddenly Angel’s chest rose and fell, Willow let go of Buffy and she ran over to him. “Angel, are you okay? Tell me you’re okay.”
 
“I’m okay,” Angel replied with a smile.
 
“You know there really is something about going to the Bahamas and actually getting a tan,” Angel joked as he lay with his wife on the beach.
 
“Yeah, I would have thought it was pretty pointless coming to somewhere like here, if you couldn’t go out in the sun.”
 
Angel looked over to where Buffy lay and grinned, “The food.”
 
Buffy rolled her eyes. “Actually I wouldn’t mind some food, and I don’t mean tourists.”
 
Angel laughed and rolled over and kissed his wife on her forehead, “I don’t believe it. We had lunch like 10 minutes ago. I thought I had an appetite now I…have an appetite.”
 
“Yeah, well,” Buffy said, being lost for a comeback she stuck her tongue out at him. 
Angel just laughed, “Okay, we can get something to eat, only because you’re my wife and I love you.”
 
Buffy smiled and said, “Yeah, I’m spoilt.”
 
“Just, don’t throw up again,” Angel said with a grin.
 
Buffy pouted, “It was the oysters.” 
 
“Yeah, whatever,” Angel said as he and Buffy walked hand in hand along the beach.