DISCLAIMER: The characters in this work of fiction belong to Joss Whedon 20th century Fox et al. No copyright infringement intended. This fic and all original characters are copyright of Angelic Watcher. 

TIMELINE: This story continues on from The Cradle Will Fall.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Dedicated to the B/A shippers at the Buffysearch Message boards. You challenged me to write a trilogy which soon turned into so much more. I love you AW xx

The Powers That Be are not of this dimension.

They reside on the edge of our reality, occasionally crossing over that great divide to impart their will and knowledge on the lower beings dwelling there.

They are all powerful, all seeing and have the wisdom of eternity.

Unfortunately, they do not always play fair....

The child has been returned, and all is well with the world

Not so! The Slayer neglects her duties, and the redeemed vampire is enslaved by love.

Have they not suffered? Have they not lost friends and loved ones?

It is not enough, they need to be shown.

What will the lesson be?

To truly appreciate the light, one must first know what it is to be surrounded by darkness.

Hyperion Hotel LA

"Morning guys" said Angel "Do you mind holding the fort for a while? Buffy and I want to take Davy to the park for a picnic" he grinned.

"Well no, of course not Angel, but we really need your help with that new case that came in. Perhaps you could....." said Wesley

"Great, thats settled then, I'll just leave it in your capable hands Wes" said Angel "See you later!" he called and was gone.

Cordelia looked up from the computer "Are they going out again?" she asked "I know they've had a tough time lately, but Angel hasn't kicked any demon butt for quite some time now."

"I know" said Wesley "And Buffy seems to have forgotten her slaying duties altogether. Maybe they just need a little while longer to get back into the swing of things?"

"Or maybe they've just decided to be Mr and Mrs Regular Joe" she remarked.

"I hate to say it Cordelia, but this time I think you are right" agreed Wesley.

That night, Buffy lay with her eyes closed revelling in the sensations which were coursing through her body.

Recent events had brought an air of desperation to the relationship she and Angel shared, and she could think of no better way to release the tension.

Angel's hand closed over her mouth, but he knew she would be grinning beneath it.

Waking their baby was the last thing she wanted to do, but keeping quiet at a time like this sure was difficult!

She admired Angel's self control, but then he had had more practise at it. Even so, he sometimes lost it too.

Reaching down, Buffy ran her fingers through Angel's hair.

His long dark hair.

And in their bedroom back in LA, Angel suddenly found himself alone.

Buffy gasped under the hand covering her mouth, and struggled to break free.

Angelus lifted his head and looked at her grinning.

"Buff, if you're gonna fight back, I really wish you would do it before its...too..darn...late!" growled Angelus.

He moved slightly and looked into her wide eyes.

"Even I don't have that much control" he purred.

Then he kissed her slowly and tenderly.

This can't be Angelus, thought Buffy, I must be dreaming.

"Now for dessert" he snarled as his face morphed.

Roughly pulling Buffy's hair aside, he bit down on her neck, but she was amazed how gentle he was.

He did not drink her, just lapped, like a kitten with a bowl of milk. Strange animalistic feelings were being aroused in Buffy. Her face began to change, and she felt the bloodlust take her over.

A part of her knew this could not be happening, that it was all wrong. But an even bigger part of her knew it was so right.

Swiftly flipping Angelus over, she pinned his arms down.

"Enough lover! Now its my turn" Buffy snarled.

Angelus just lay there, thinking that life just could not get any better than this.

In LA, Angel was thinking that life just could not get any worse than this.

It seemed that he had gained his redemption only to suffer even more torments.

First his son had been very nearly lost to him, and now the only woman he had ever truly loved had been snatched from him.

This time there was no ransom note, no telephones, no nothing. She was there....and then she was gone.

Angel felt like he was going crazy, and Cordelia was having a hard time keeping him calm.

"Angel, please, enough of the pacing" she begged "Sit down here, Wesley has come up with a few theories."

"Well, um, only one actually" mumbled Wesley.

"And that is?" Angel asked impatiently.

"A displacement spell" he muttered "I'm sorry Angel, its all I've had time to come up with."

"Performed by who, what for and why?" asked Angel.

"Three very good questions" replied the former Watcher "To which I unfortunately don't have the answers."

"Maybe Willow could help us?" suggested Cordelia. "She's good at all that witchy stuff. I'll give her a call."

Angelus was having a seriously wicked dream, when he was awoken by the sounds of furniture being knocked over, and Dru giggling.

"Shhhh Spike, you'll wake Daddy and he'll be cross" whispered Dru.

"Who bloody cares anyway" slurred Spike taking another swig from a whisky bottle.

Angelus appeared in the doorway. "Drunk again, and making enough noise to wake the dead" he growled "What do you think you're playing at, its nearly dawn?"

"I can come and go when I sodding well please" answered Spike.

"Not when it puts one of my women in danger you can't" snarled Angelus.

"Oooh, don't be angry with Spike" whined Dru "He's not as experienced in things as you. You can punish me if you like, and I know you would like it very much" she purred.

"Nobody knows me like you do Dru" grinned Angelus.

He grabbed Dru's arm and pulled her into another room.

Spike dropped the bottle, and leaned into the room where Buffy lay half asleep.

"Can I sleep with you today then Buff?" Spike shouted.

"What the hell?" cried Buffy, who had been having the strangest dream about a baby boy.

"Please Buff, those two are at it again, and I really don't want to listen" Spike groaned.

"All right" she replied. "But snore and I will kill you."

Spike climbed into the bed and brought his face towards Buffy's neck.

"I could do with a bite to eat pet" he mumbled.

"Don't push your luck Spike" Buffy growled.

Spike turned over and was soon snoring soundly.

Buffy lay awake, listening to the muffled sounds coming from the next room as well as Spike's loud snores.

When she could stand it no longer, she covered her head with a pillow, and wondered which one of them she 'really' wanted to kill.

Willow and Tara had arrived the next morning, and Cordelia was helping to settle them in. Luckily the hotel had more than its fair share of spare rooms, so accomodating them had not been a problem.

Angel was in the kitchen, trying to persuade Davy to take his feed. Their son had started crying at the very same moment Buffy had disappeared, and had continued to do so on and off ever since. He lay in Angel's arms, looking up at him with tearstained eyes.

"I know, I miss her too" Angel said "But I promise you I am going to get her back"

"Would you like me to try?" asked a soft voice behind him, and Angel spun round.

"Sarah? What are you doing here?" asked Angel in surprise.

"Cordy rang me, asked if I could come over for a few days to help out with Davy. I've had to bring my own baby with me if thats ok?" she replied.

"I...yeah..of course its ok. I'm sorry, I just wasnt expecting you." said Angel.

"Cordy said that Buffy had been called away urgently to visit a sick relative, and that you might have to follow on later" said Sarah. "I hope its nothing too serious"

"So do I" replied Angel, and he sat for a moment, lost in thought.

"So, do you want me to feed him, or are you just gonna let it dribble down his chin? she asked "My little boy Francis is asleep at the moment, so I'll try to get Davy settled before he wakes up"

"Thanks" said Angel, and they swapped places. "I make a pretty useless father" Angel said.

"Of course you don't" she reassured him "Its just that he can sense you're worried, and it kinda upsets him too."

"If you want anything, just help yourself" said Angel "Cordy can show you where everything is, and Davy's things are in the basket over in the corner."

"We'll be just fine won't we ?" she smiled as she stroked Davy's cheek.

Davy sensed the familiar smell of the woman who had kept him safe, and soon made short work of the bottle.

Willow and Tara spent the rest of the day working on a location spell. This part was pretty easy, but they wanted to make sure it all went exactly right.

"Its really like trying to find a missing object" Willow told Angel

"Like a set of c.car keys" added Tara.

"Sounds simple enough" said Cordy "So when you find her what then? Is it just a case of 'poof' and she's back?"

"We've never tried it with a p p person before" said Tara.

"We've managed to recover inanimate objects by first locating them, and then relocating them back to us" Willow explained "But I couldn't just make a person disappear and then reappear someplace else" she said.

"But, w wer'e working on it" said Tara.

"Lets hope she's nearby" Willow said.

"Yeah, lets hope she is" Angel replied.

But he seriously doubted it would be that easy.

"Come on lover, rise and shine" shouted Angelus strolling into their room.

Seeing Spike in bed with Buffy, he grabbed him, pulled him out, and threw him out of the door.

"What the hell was he doing in here?" Angelus yelled at Buffy.

"Somebody had to keep me amused, and you were missing" she snarled, and turned her back on him.

Angelus stripped off the remnants of his clothes and poured some water from a jug into a bowl.

He began to wash, and when he was finished, he pulled some clean clothes out of the closet and got dressed.

"Well I'm ready" he said "And I have one hell of an appetite. Hurry up Buff, don't keep me waiting!"

She turned towards him, determined to remain angry, but she knew it was impossible.

He was wearing dark trousers, a white shirt, and the red and gold embroidered waistcoat that she had chosen for him.

He was also wearing that silly slightly lopsided grin that always turned her legs to jelly.

If only he loved her the way that she loved him.

The grin turned into a snarl.

"Buff, my patience is running out" he growled.

Buffy suddenly felt very hungry, and she growled back at him as she got out of bed.

Soon, the four of them were out hunting side by side.

Ripping the throats of the innocent and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

Killing Feeding Sharing

Just like a real family should.

"I'm sorry Angel" said Willow "We can't locate her".

"But I thought you said it was easy?" Angel replied."Are you trying to tell me she's dead?"

"God! No" cried Willow.

"There can be other reasons why we can't f f find her" stuttered Tara.

"Tara's right" said Willow. "We can only locate her this way if she's in this dimension. If she was in another one, that would be a whole new ball game."

"Well I hope she's not in that alternate Sunnydale " said Cordelia "Cos that sure sucked big time."

"Trying really hard not to go there." mumbled Willow.

"W why?" Tara asked. "What happened?"

"You so don't want to know that." shuddered Cordelia.

"We need to try something else" said Wesley. "How's your singing voice tonight Angel?" he asked.

The former vampire's face fell and he cursed under his breath.

"So, a visit to Caritas is in order I think" Wesley said.

"Oh, and please, no Elvis...ok?" begged Cordelia.

The terrified man Buffy was holding began to go limp as she greedily drained him.

Angelus was stood behind her, his arms around her waist, watching and waiting "Save me some Buff" he purred.

The man fell to the floor, clearly dead.

Buffy turned round in Angelu's arms and kissed him "Sorry" she grinned "I got carried away".

Angelus licked his lips "Not a very good vintage anyway" he laughed.

Dru ran up, hastily wiping blood from her mouth.

She placed her arm in Angelu's and whispered something in his ear. He roared with laughter, and they began to walk off together arm in arm.

Suddenly he stopped and turned, then looked across at Buffy.

"C'mon Buff, its getting near dawn, we'd better be heading back" he said.

"I think I hear Spike, I'll wait for him" Buffy replied.

"Well don't be too long then, Dru has an idea for a new game to play, and everyone has to join in" he grinned.

"Hey Buffy, wait up" Spike yelled drunkenly.

For a moment, Buffy froze, as her senses were assailed by an assortment of images.

"What did you call me Spike?" Buffy snarled.

"Nothing" he mumbled.

In Caritas, Angel was downing his third pint of Guinness.

"Steady on there" said Wesley "You'll soon be in no fit state to sing."

"Was he ever?" asked Cordelia rolling her eyes.

Angel stood up and took a deep breath, trying to psyche himself up for the dreaded task ahead.

"Its no good" he mumbled "I have to go"

"Angel, you cant!" Wesley cried "You have to at least try"

"No, I mean I have to go...visit the mens room?" replied Angel.

Angel was washing his hands when he heard someone enter the mensroom. Glancing up at the mirror on the wall, he saw no reflection but his own.

Vampires he thought as he turned to face them.

Two male vamps were looking him up and down and grinning.

"Hey, Angel" said one of them "We heard you were ..like..'human' again".

"That really sucks" said the other.

"Well yeah, it would, cos thats all he can do now" said his friend laughing.

"Very funny guys, I'd love to stop and chat, but I have a previous engagement" replied Angel.

"Oh, he's got to get back to his little Slayer" taunted the younger vamp.

"Or maybe" grinned the other "He's got to babysit their brat"

"C'mon Angel, tell us, what's it like doing the Slayer? I guess now you're human, its hard to keep up with her. She must be left wanting more!" the older vamp said as he nudged his friend.

"We'd be happy to do the job for you, she sure is hot and..."

He never got a chance to finish.

All the rage that had been building up inside Angel suddenly broke free.

When he left the mens room, all that remained of the vampires were two piles of dust, and some bloodstains on the walls.

"I'll never forget I'll never forget I'll never forget" mumbled Buffy in her sleep.

"Yeah well it was a pretty memorable night" said Angelus leaning over her and kissing her neck.

Buffy opened her eyes and looked around her.

Spike was sprawled on the floor snoring, whilst Dru lay sleeping behind Angelus, her arms around his waist.

Buffy felt disgusting and dirty.

This is not right she thought, but somehow she couldn't remember why.

"Do we always have to share everything?" she asked, glaring at Angelus.

"We're a family Buff, its what we do" he laughed.

'Hows my family today?' a familiar voice said in Buffy's head.

"Whats wrong lover?" asked Angelus watching the expression on Buffy's face "You're not jealous are you? Such a human emotion to feel" he snarled "Don't worry, I'm still your own dear boy" he said as he kissed the top of her head.

'Your dear boy for our dear boy' echoed in Buffys mind, and she leapt out of the bed.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To the water closet" she replied."Do I have to share that experience with you as well?" Buffy yelled.

Dru woke up at the sound of raised voices "Angelus, I had a bad dream. The Slayer tried to wreck our happy home" she whined.

"Its all right Dru" Angelus said squeezing her "Come here, let me take your mind off it" he grinned.

Dru giggled, while Buffy threw on a robe and stormed out of the room.

Wesley, Cordelia and the Host were listening to Angels rendition of 'Heartbreak Hotel'

"I told him no Elvis" Cordelia said, holding her hands to her ears.

"Yes, but under the circumstances, it is very apt" remarked Wesley "And also rather touching" he added whilst wiping his eyes.

"Are you getting anything?" Cordelia asked the Host.

"Not yet sweetie, but I know somebody who's about to" he replied moving to stand behind her.

"What?" Oh God not again!" cried Cordelia clutching her head in pain.

Angel had been looking over at them, and when he saw Cordelia's face, he dropped the microphone and ran to her.

Angel knelt down, and held on to her shoulders.

"What do you see Cordelia?" he asked "Is it Buffy?"

"Whoa, that so cannot be happening" she murmured.

Another wave of pain hit her "Please" she mumbled. "Enough already"

She lifted her head up slightly, and the Host passed her a glass of water.

"Well, I thought Bizarro Sunnydale was bad, but that place is just..." Cordelia trailed off.

"Did you see her?" cried Angel.

"Oh yeah, I saw her. I saw her with you" she replied.

"I'm there too?" asked Angel looking confused.

"Well I think it's you, but your hair is longer and the clothes your wearing are from another century" Cordelia said.

"She must be in the past Angel" said Wesley "And she could be with you when you were still Liam."

"No, he's already been turned." said Cordelia.

"Angelus? You saw Buffy with Angelus? Oh God, he'll kill her" groaned Angel.

"Er, well, I don't think thats on his agenda, not from what I saw. Gross doesn't even begin to cover it" replied Cordelia.

"I'm sorry Angel" she added "I really don't want to tell you this but...."

"What Cordelia?" pressed Angel.

"Buffys a vampire and loving it"

Back at the hotel, the gang were discussing Cordelia's vision.

"So" Willow said "Buffy can't be in the past otherwise the time line here would have been altered already."

"I hate all this space time continuum thingy" said Cordelia.

"You've been watching too much Star Trek" said Gunn who had called in to see how things were progressing.

"I think its safe to say that we are dealing with an alternate reality" said Wesley.

"But how the hell did she get sent there?" Angel asked "And for what purpose? More to the point how do we get her back?"

"We could t t try..." Tara did not get the chance to finish.

Angels chair flew backwards as he disappeared

Buffy went into Spike and Dru's empty room and slammed the door. She was seething with anger over Angelu's behaviour.

Throwing herself on the bed, she began beating the pillows with her fists. Suddenly, she became aware that she was not alone.

She turned to see a man slumped in the corner.

So.. she thought. Someone had brought a snack in for later.

"Might as well get it while its still hot" she cried.

She pulled back his head to look at his face.

"Angel?" she said in a voice which did not sound like her own.

Angel opened his eyes and looked into hers.

"Buffy?" he cried and threw his arms around her "Buffy I've found you!"

"Who are you?" she snarled "You have the face of Angelus, but you're not him. Your hair...Your clothes..." she trailed off.

"You're a demon arent you? she laughed "He'll kill you!"

Angel grabbed Buffy and put his hand over her mouth before she could scream.

He remembered the stake in his jacket. He pulled it out and held it over Buffys heart.

"You are not going to scream, or make a run for it" he said "You will sit here quietly and listen to what I have to say, or I'll use this.

Buffy looked at him with wide eyes.

"I know what you are" said Buffy "You're a present from Angelus aren't you?" she reached up and touched Angel's hair.

"Its different to how most men wear it" she murmured "But I like it"

She grabbed Angel and began kissing him. He was caught off guard as they fell onto the bed.

He tried to break away, but Buffy was kissing him so hard it sent his senses reeling.

Memories flooded through them both of the night they first made love

" I..I love you. I try not to but I can't stop".

"Me too. I can't either"

"Buffy maybe we shouldn't"

"Dont..Just kiss me."

Buffy gasped and broke the kiss staring at him with wide eyes.

"Please Buffy, you have to remember who you really are" said Angel "You don't belong here, you belong with me and our son. He misses you Buffy"

"Davy?" murmured Buffy.

"Thats right!" cried Angel.

"What nonsense is this?" she snarled "Why do you keep calling me that name? I don't like this game, it makes me feel strange inside, as if my heart were being torn in two."

Angel reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph of himself, Bufffy and their son. He thrust it in her face.

She sat up and grabbed the picture, not quite comprehending what she was looking at.

"How was this made ?" she asked peering closely at it.

"Its from the future Buffy, where you really belong" he replied.

Angel knew there was no point trying to explain alternate realities to her, but hopefully she would understand past and future.

"Please Buffy, try to remember. I love you ... I need you" he murmured as he bent to kiss her.

She responded to the kiss, and Angel let his mind fill up with memories of them together, hoping to somehow transfer those thoughts to her. Soon she was clinging on to him, trying to understand it all

The door to the room was thrown open, and Angelus stood there.

"There you are Buff!" he bellowed "C'mon, its nearly sunset and I'm starving"

He took in the scene before him and laughed out loud.

"You little vixen" he cried "You kept that a secret! Naughty naughty Buff, share and share alike" said Angelus "Hand him over"

Angel had been facing away from Angelus when he entered the room, but now he turned round.

"What the hell?" Angelus growled "Whats going on here? "

Buffy leapt off the bed and ran to him.

She threw her arms around his neck and grinned "Its all right my love" exclaimed Buffy "Its a new game I thought up just for you"

"But he looks just like me" frowned Angelus.

"I know" Buffy squealed "Now I get two of you at once!" she purred.

"That should be interesting" he growled as he leaned down and kissed her roughly.

Angel thought he would explode, seeing the two of them together was unbearable. He had no idea where this was leading, he only knew that during the kiss he and Buffy had shared, he had sensed a change in her, felt like she was coming back to him. Angel prayed he was right.

"I'm gonna go get Dru" Angelus said "She's gonna love this game!"

He turned to leave the room, but Buffy called him back.

"Come here first my love, and close your eyes" said Buffy "I have another surprise for you" she murmured.

Angelus stood in front of her, eyes closed and grinning in anticipation. "What is it darlin?" he asked.

"Some things you just don't share Angelus"

Then she staked him.

Angel found himself stood before The Oracles.

"I thought...." he was not allowed to finish.

"Quiet!" said the female "We are here in this form because it is how The Powers That Be have chosen to present themselves to you."

Angel glanced around looking for Buffy, but she was not there.

"You have been given two lessons, what have you learnt from them?" said the female.

"Lessons?" asked Angel in a confused voice.

"Two things of value were taken from you, and then returned. Your humanity and your soul" said the male "The two wiccans were guided by us to restore your strength so that once again a Warrior could be returned to our cause"

"But you did not return" said the female "You gave up fighting, you abandoned the dark side completely and embraced the light. Is that not so?"

Angel thought about the time he and Buffy had spent together since he became human. He realised that they were probably right.

Buffy suddenly appeared next to him.

"Come before us Slayer" said the male oracle "Two things of value were taken from you and then returned. Your son, and the Warrior you love.

"You were responsible for that?" asked Buffy angrily.

"Silence!" the female replied. "Still you remained in the light, knowing that all around you the forces of darkness prevailed. We believed that you had forgotten what evil was. Tell me Slayer...How did it taste?"

"You sent me there?" Buffy cried "You made me into one of them?"

"To kill ones enemies, first you have to understand them" said the male "What they think, how they feel".

"I've been doing that for a long time" snapped Buffy.

"Love blinded you, you cast all other things aside. How did it feel being a part of the dark side?" the female asked.

Buffy looked hesitantly across at Angel.

"I want to kill them..Kill them all" she answered.

"Then the lesson has been learnt" said the male.

"Together you can be a powerful weapon against the forces of darkness, use that power wisely" said the female.

"But surely we deserve some semblance of normality in our lives?" cried Buffy.

"It is a question of balance" replied the male "Darkness and light".

"To appreciate the light, you must first know darkness"

"To fight the darkness, you have to see the light"

That night, after being returned safely by The Powers That Be, Buffy and Angel lay side by side in bed staring at the ceiling.

"Well, that's an experience I'd really like to forget" said Buffy.

"Tell me about it" replied Angel "I've spent what seems like an eternity trying to do the very same thing".

They fell silent for a moment.

"It made me see a lot of things more clearly now though" said Buffy.

"Like what?" asked Angel nervously.

"Darla" said Buffy "How she thinks..How she feels"

"You're defending Darla after what she put us through?" cried Angel

"I'm not defending her Angel, I'm just saying I understand her motives" remarked Buffy "I feel like in that reality I was her you know? She really loved you Angel...But you.."

"Angelus wasn't capable of love" he interrupted "He was a monster..A cold blooded killer".

"You all were" she remarked "But it's the demon inside made you that way. Most of the time the demon is in total control, but sometimes I believe a vampire's true personality can resurface. They can show love... They can be kind and gentle. Look at Spike... He's changed, so it is possible."

"Are you talking from experience here?" asked Angel

Buffy blushed slightly.

"Is that how Angelus was with you?" he added. That's not how it was Buffy, trust me..I know. Maybe in the alternate reality you were in, things were different...I suppose they had to be. But vampires are nothing but soulless murderers Buffy" said Angel "And you know that".

"I know" said Buffy "I was one remember? If anything its made my hatred for them even stronger"

Silence fell between them again.

"When you were with Angelus...Did you ever..You know, compare him to me?" mumbled Angel.

"How could I?" laughed Buffy "I didn't even know you existed!"

"But you do now" he whispered as he traced her cheek with his fingertips.

"Well I was thinking" said Buffy "We could set up some chains on the wall over there and.. Oh yeah, we are gonna need a much bigger bed. A few knives and whips would be good. What do you think?" she grinned.

"You're teasing me..Buffy?..You are teasing me aren't you?" Angel said pulling her into his arms.

"I love you" she whispered "Only you"

Later, as Angel reclaimed her as his own, the only name she cried out was his.

And Angel was filled with joy.

"So, its back to business as usual" Cordelia said to Wesley

"Yes...Um...I suppose it is" he replied .

"Wesley... Stop staring" hissed Cordelia.

He was looking over at Sarah who was folding laundry, whilst the two baby boys lay sleeping in their cribs next to her.

"You really like her don't you Wes" Cordelia whispered.

"No..I..Well.. Yes, she's a very attractive young lady" he muttered.

"Its great how she's settled in here" said Cordelia. "It means that Buffy and Angel don't have to worry about Davy being looked after, plus that apartment she was living in left a whole lot to be desired"

Sarah looked over at them and smiled "Would you like me to make some coffee?" she asked.

"I'll make it" he offered "You take a break" he added and rushed over to pull a chair out for her.

Sarah and Cordelia looked at each other and grinned.

Buffy and Angel were tracking a demon in the sewers.

"You getting anything Angel?" said Buffy "Cos I sure smell sewer"

He stopped and raised his eyebrows at her.

"Oh yeah, sorry....Deja-vu moment" smiled Buffy.

"You ready for this?" questioned Angel turning to face her.

"Hey, bring it on" she grinned "Its just like old times!"

"Are you scared?" he asked "Because there's not only the two of us to consider now."

"I know, it just means we have to be more careful, not take so many risks" she replied. "But we'll make it work"

"We will" he agreed.

They held each other close for a moment and shared a kiss for luck before Angel turned and led the way.

Buffy smiled to herself "Tunnel number one it is........"

Epilogue.

The Powers That Be are not of this dimension.

They reside on the edge of our reality, occasionally crossing that great divide to impart their will and knowledge on the lesser beings dwelling there.

They are all powerful, all seeing, and have the wisdom of eternity.

Fortunately, they usually get things right.

The Slayer and her Warrior have returned to our cause 

Balance has been restored.

Light and Darkness

Darkness and light

So Shall It be.

On to Blood and Trust