Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story. They all belong to Joss Whedon and anyone else who has rights to them. I am not making any profit from this; it's just for entertainment purposes.
Authors Note: Due to the awesome feedback I received for "A Little Souvenir," I decided to write this interlude. This is basically Buffy and Angel's conversation after Lynn goes to sleep. I am getting all these ideas for a sequel, so maybe I'll be writing that soon.
Distribution: My site- https://gethzerion.tripod.com/index.html. Anyone else who wants this, or any other story, please ask. I'll probably say yes.
Dedication: To all those Buffy/Angel fans who want a happy ending.
******
Buffy sobbed into Angel's chest for several more minutes. He rubbed his hands around her back, soothing her. Finally, after what seemed for an eternity, Buffy pulled away just enough to look into his eyes.
"How did this happen?" she asked softly.
He motioned for her to sit down on the couch with him and she did, looking at him all the while.
"It's been a hard road," he started. "I went to Europe for some time, and then I lived in L.A. until, somehow, the Powers That Be decided that I had earned my forgiveness. I don't really remember what exactly happened, but I know that I was granted my humanity again. I had a chance to live the life I never could the first time around. And I didn't really know what to do now, after I'd left you.
"I thought that you had long moved on without me, until I finally decided that even if we couldn't be together in the sense that I wanted to, we could at least be friends. Hell, I didn't even know if you were still alive!"
Buffy put her hand on his. "I'm alive. And you left me to raise your daughter for the past fifteen years all by myself."
"I swear, Buffy," Angel said. "If I'd known you were pregnant I would've stayed..."
"I know," Buffy interrupted. "But, hey, in a way, it was better this way. If you'd never gone off, you would've never gotten this second chance. I do wish I knew how this happened."
"I'm sure you don't need me to explain to you how babies are made..." Angel said teasingly.
"That's not what I meant!" Buffy cried, lifting her hand to slap his arm. He caught her hand and pulled her forward.
"So, you didn't move on?" he asked.
"No," she answered. "I mean, I tried to date several times when Lynn was a baby, but being a single mother didn't help. It was hard to find a babysitter, and when they found out I had a daughter they got kind of distant. And then there was the fact that every time I saw her, or every time I heard her name, I got reminded of you. I gave up after a while. I do have a friend who offered to marry me once..." Buffy smiled. "I refused. I mean, Lynn did need a father, but I wouldn't take second best."
"Where'd you get her name?"
"Giles and I researched a lot, trying to figure out how Lynn could have been conceived. I stumbled upon your old journal in your old apartment once..."
Angel winced. "How old?"
Buffy smiled. "It was from way back when, when you were still human. And I read the most interesting things, too..."
Angel turned his head, feeling guilty.
"Hey," Buffy said, putting her hand to his cheek to turning his face to her. "No biggie. That was like, what, two hundred plus years ago? The point is that I was reading about your family. You seemed pretty close with your sister Kathleen. I was gonna name her that, but then I read about your smallest sister, who you never really got to know... Evelynn."
Angel nodded. "That was wonderful of you."
"I know," Buffy said with a smile. "And I liked the name, too. So... now that you get that second chance, what are you gonna do with it?"
"I don't know," Angel replied. "But I do know that I love you and I want to be a part of your life, and of our daughter's life. If you'll let me be..."
Buffy squealed and launched herself into Angel's arms. "Didn't I tell you I wouldn't settle for second best? I want my daughter's real father to be there for her." She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "Thank you so much for coming back to me."
"I promise to make up for all those years I was gone," Angel said. "Starting with this."
He took out a small, velvet covered box and opened it so that she could see. "Marry me?"
Buffy stared at the ring inside. It was a gold Claddagh with a diamond in the center, inside the heart. "It's beautiful," she murmured. Then, she realized he was still waiting for an answer. "Yes! Yes, of course I'll marry you!"
He sighed in relief and slipped the ring into her finger, noticing that she still wore the one he had given her for her seventeenth birthday. "I bought this one when I was living in Ireland fourteen years ago. I'm not sure why, really. But this is just making it official. You've been my wife in my heart for a long time."
"Same here. Well, not wife, husband..."
Angel smiled. "So, you forgive me?" he asked.
Buffy looked at him, incredulously. "What do you think?"
He grinned and stood up, picking her up in a tight hug.
"But if you ever do anything that stupid ever again, I swear I'll..." Buffy didn't get a chance to finish her threat; Angel's lips were on hers immediately. She gave a small sigh of contentment into his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck..
"You'll do what?" he said as he pulled away.
"Hmm?" Buffy asked.
He pulled her forward again for another kiss.
"You do know that it's really Lynn who you should be befriending," Buffy murmured as she pulled away slightly. "Poor kid's probably gonna have a rough time accepting that her dad was the very thing I always taught her to hate."
Angel nodded. "Why does she fight vampires, anyway?"
"Because I do," Buffy replied. "I don't know, I guess she feels helpless by doing nothing. Ever since she started realizing that she was a bit stronger than her classmates, she's been going out and helping out. Oh, and her friends, Jade and Daniel, they found out much the same way Willow and Xander did. They help out as well."
Angel chuckled. "Better hope her boyfriend's not a vampire."
Buffy mirrored his smile. "Oh, don't worry. I met Matt. He's a nice, normal Senior over at Sunnydale High."
"I really should get to know her," Angel said. "And you, what do you do?"
"I teach kick-boxing and P.E. class at Sunnydale High."
"I really have missed a lot, haven't I?"
"We'll worry about that later," Buffy answered. "But now..." she reached up and kissed his chin, "we have other things to worry about."
Angel nodded and started the walk to her, or maybe their, bedroom, pushing her gently along with him. This was definitely the second chance they had been wanting, waiting, and hoping for. They would be together until the end of time.
THE END