By

"No."

"Mr. Giles, your duty to the council demands that…"

"My first duty is to Buffy and I’m not doing it. She has suffered enough and I won’t betray her trust."

Quentin Travers was silent as he tried to stare Giles into submission. He did it quite well and doubtless it had worked many times in the past but he had forgotten just who Giles was. To a man who had faced Angelus this attempt to be intimidating was laughable at best and his efforts were further undermined by Jenny who was standing, unseen, next to the other watcher and pulling faces at him, leaving Giles hard pressed to keep a straight face. Sensing Giles’ amusement – although not the cause – Quentin asked, "This is your final word on the subject?"

"It is."

"And you are aware that in defying the council you are breaking your oath as a Watcher?"

"I am."

"Hmm. It is clear that your affection for your charge has clouded your judgement. You have a fathers love for the child and no longer view her as the weapon that she is. You’re fired. As things stand now, you are useless to the cause."

Giles didn’t flinch as he was expelled from the group that had, at one time, been like family to him. He knew that what he was doing was right – indeed there was no other choice that he could live with. The loss of the council’s support was nothing compared to the knowledge that if he did as they asked Buffy could die as a direct result of his actions.

Quentin was watching him expectantly, clearly waiting for him to submit to the council in order to save his position. When it became clear that not only was he not going to beg but that he wouldn’t even argue, Quentin looked at him incredulously and informed him that a new Watcher would be sent to take over from him.

"It would be best if you had no further contact with the Slayer."

"I’m not going anywhere."

"No, well, I didn’t expect you would adhere to that. However if you interfere with the new Watcher or countermand his authority in any way, you will be dealt with. Are we clear?"

"Oh, we’re very clear."

Quentin nodded and turned to leave but Giles’ voice stopped him before he reached the door to the library. "There will be no test. Buffy’s birthday is in just over a week and I seriously doubt that without my help you will be able to administer the drug but just in case I intend to inform Buffy and those closest to her of what it entails. Furthermore, if you hurt her in any way – I’ll kill you. Do you understand? She has saved the world on several occasions, let that be proof enough of her abilities."

"You’re threatening me?" he asked incredulously.

"Oh yes, but if Buffy is hurt because of you then you had better pray that it’s me that finds you and not Angel because I’ll at least give you a quick death – I can’t guarantee that he would do the same."

Quentin searched his eyes for some sign that he was bluffing but he found nothing but a deadly sincerity. Shuddering, he nodded and said quickly, "There will be no test – I swear."

"Good, now if I were you I’d return to England as quickly as possible. You don’t want to be around when Buffy and Angel learn what you had planned."

"Quite, quite, we’ll leave at once."

"Oh, and leave Krelik where he is – I’ll tell Buffy to take care of him."

Giles watched as the other Watcher scurried from the room with his tail between his legs. "Pompous ass!" he muttered to Jenny and went to phone Buffy asking her to collect Angel and the others and meet him in the library.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"WHAT?!"

"Now, Buffy, calm down…"

"Giles, don’t tell me to calm down. I will NOT calm down. How DARE they?"

Giles looked over Buffy’s shoulder at Angel, hoping he would be able to defuse the situation and was somewhat taken aback to discover that he was in full game face and growling softly. "Uh…Angel?" he asked cautiously at first and then, when there was no response, louder, "Angel!"

Angel’s golden gaze flashed to his and after a moment his face slipped back into its usual handsome visage. "Sorry," he said somewhat sheepishly, "It’s just… What idiot came up with that idea?"

"I don’t know," Giles admitted. "The origins of the Cruciamentum have been lost in the mists of the distant past but the ritual itself is still faithfully carried out on every Slayer if she survives to see her 18^th birthday. Until now."

"Great," said Buffy sarcastically. "As if Slaying isn’t hard enough, now I find out that I can’t trust the Watchers any more than the demons – present company excepted, Giles."

"I…um…" he stammered.

"Oh no, what else is there."

"I’m not precisely a Watcher any more."

"Meaning?"

"Since I refused to obey the Council’s orders I’ve been dismissed from my post. My replacement should be here within about two weeks."

"What? No! Giles, you can’t leave me!" It was a cry from the heart and if those listening had ever doubted that Buffy loved Giles as though he were her father, those doubts were erased forever when she threw herself into his arms.

He held her tightly and said against her hair, "It’s all right Buffy, I said that they fired me – not that I was leaving. I’m no longer your Watcher but I’ll always watch out for you and be here when you need me."

"You swear?" she asked in an almost childlike voice.

"I swear."

She looked up into his eyes, searching for confirmation of his words, and then nodded. "Thank you." She said as she released him and returned to Angel’s side. "I’m so sorry that you’ve lost your job."

"Don’t be. They wanted me to betray your trust and endanger your life – I don’t want to work for an organisation that can treat you so badly after all you’ve done for them. What it came down to was that I could retain either your trust or their support and there was never any question of which I value more." It was clear that if Giles was like a father to Buffy, she, equally, was like a daughter to him and his desire to protect her outweighed everything else.

When he finished speaking, everyone was silent for a time, then, as if embarrassed by the depth of feeling he had revealed Giles removed his glasses and began cleaning them as he returned to business. "I don’t believe that the council will be able to continue without my assistance but just in case Buffy, you should be on the look out for any signs of unexpected weakness. The test is technically invalidated by the fact that you know of it but the council does not like being thwarted and they may bend the rules. It would probably also be wise to be wary of my replacement until he proves that he can be trusted.

Everyone nodded in agreement and then Buffy turned to Angel, "We should probably go kill this vamp they wanted me to fight. You know, I really don’t know about a group of people who would keep a vampire in a box – it sounds to me like they’re asking for trouble." The two of them left the room arm in arm and the others watched them go.

As soon as she was sure that they were really gone, Willow asked the question that had been burning inside all of them since they had first learned the details of the test. "Giles, how many Slayers have survived this Cruciamentum thingy?"

"Not many." He said sadly.

"How, how many is…is not many?" she persisted anxiously

"Willow…"

"How many!"

Giles sighed and looked down, "Maybe three out of every hundred Slayers survive and that’s out of few who manage to survive to their 18^th birthday in the first place. Most Slayers die within a year of being called."

"But…but that doesn’t make any sense!" she exclaimed. "What can the council possible hope to gain from destroying the strongest Slayers."

Giles shrugged but before he could speak Buffy’s voice said from behind them, "Control."

Everyone jumped and turned to see that she and Angel had quietly re-entered the room while they had been talking.

"Sorry Guys," she said with a slight smile, "I forgot my bag."

"What do you mean, control?" Xander asked, knowing that he wouldn’t like the answer but feeling the same morbid curiosity that keeps people watching a car wreck.

"Think about it. We slay, we survive, we get stronger and more confident and as we do, we get tired of taking orders from a bunch of people who have never been anywhere near a battle. They have no idea of the reality we live with every day and yet believe that they know better than us how we should act. Their lives are based on ritual; mine on survival and eventually the two viewpoints are bound to clash.

When I first became the Slayer I depended upon my Watcher to instruct me. I believed that he – and the council – knew everything but over time that’s changed. I don’t take orders any more – I’ll listen to advice and usually take it but I won’t be controlled and that’s the difference. That’s what the council can’t stand, it gives them a sense of power to have the Slayer jumping at their every whim and they hate it when that dependency ends. What they want is a Slayer who is strong enough to keep the world safe and yet has no mind of her own but they’ll never get it because without the ability to improvise no Slayer, no matter how strong, will live for long."

Giles was shaking his head, "No, I can’t believe that the Council would sink so low that they would deliberately…"

"Think about it, Giles." She instructed. "You’ve read all the diaries. The Slayers who were the most successful were also those whose methods were disapproved of by the council, weren’t they? The ones who thought for themselves, and didn’t do exactly what they were told?

"I…don’t…"

"Weren’t they?"

Giles was silent, his eyes becoming slightly unfocused as he reviewed his memory, seeking to disprove Buffy’s words. After a long pause he said slowly, "Now that you mention it…I believe you’re right. I can’t believe that I never saw this before! All this time I’ve been trying to get you to behave as the council decreed a Slayer should and now it seems that instead of aiding you I’ve been making your job harder. I’m so sorry, Buffy…I’ve let you down."

"Have you really?" Angel asked quietly, even as Buffy shook her head in denial of Giles’ words. "I’ve seen other Watchers in my time and you don’t act like them. How many rules haven’t you told Buffy because they didn’t seem important? How many have you broken in trying to keep her safe? You care about her and I don’t think you’re supposed to, are you?"

Giles shook his head, "It’s part of why I was fired," he admitted, "I ‘no longer view her as the weapon that she is’ according to Mr. Travers, although I’m don’t think I ever did – not from the moment she first walked into the library."

"It showed," Buffy told him with a smile, "You’re my friend – and always have been – Kendra spent her whole life with her Watcher but I don’t think she could have said the same."

Giles returned the smile and said, "In Mr. Zabuto’s defence, you are a…somewhat unique…Slayer. I have difficulty imagining that you were ever as obedient as Kendra, even when you were first called. You certainly weren’t when I met you."

"You’re right, I wasn’t. I didn’t appreciate being called but I still did everything my watcher told me to – I just argued first. As for when I met you…well, that was after Merrick’s death…and that changed everything."

"I never told you how sorry I was about that, Buffy." Giles told her softly, "He was a good man."

"Yes, he was." She said sadly, her eyes distant as she relived the past. "You and he are a lot alike, you would have liked him, I think."

"I did like him, he was one of my dearest friends."

Everyone but Angel looked on in confusion until Xander asked, "Who was this Merrick guy, anyway?"

"Oh…er…he was Buffy’s first Watcher." Giles told them, absently, his mind still on his friend he failed to notice the surprised looks the others gave him. Somehow, none of them had ever thought of Buffy having had any Watcher but Giles even though they knew that she had been the Slayer before she had moved to Sunnydale…and before she had met Giles.

"So what happened to him?" asked Cordelia, tactful as ever.

This time it was Buffy who answered, "He died saving my life from Lothos, I’d just been called and he knew that I wasn’t ready to face him. He told me to run... I did and he died." Her eyes glistened with tears and Angel drew her gently into his arms, holding her so that her back was pressed against his chest.

"It wasn’t your fault," he told her softly.

"Wasn’t it? It was my duty, not his."

"Buffy…"

"It was a long time ago," she dismissed it. It was an old guilt and one that she had long ago learned to carry. She seldom allowed herself to think of her failures because if she did, the guilt would overwhelm her.

Recognising what she was doing, Angel said nothing more but his eyes met Giles’ over her head and each silently acknowledged that suffered far too much in her short life. It was a testimony to her strength that, not only had she not broken, she still had the ability to smile and enjoy the little things in life. She lit up the world of those around her, so subtly that they were hardly aware of it or of how bleak their lives would be without her. She was the glue that held this mismatched band of friends together and kept everything from falling apart. The pressure on her was enormous but she never complained except about the most trivial things and always had time for her friends when they needed her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Buffy’s birthday grew closer she gradually became aware of furtive discussions taking place between Giles, Jenny & Willow, the three of them falling into an awkward silence whenever she entered the library. When she questioned them about it they first denied everything and then, realising that tactic would not suffice they assured her that there was no prophecy or Hellmouth-related problem which they were hiding from her and asked her to trust them promising that soon they would reveal all.

Despite her intense curiosity Buffy did as they requested, secure in the knowledge that none of them would ever do anything to hurt her and privately suspecting that they were planning some sort of surprise for her birthday since she had firmly vetoed the idea of a party. Knowing that they would be unhappy at the idea of not marking the occasion somehow she said nothing although she wanted nothing more than to forget all about it. Her birthday was inextricably linked in her mind with the agonising pain of Angel losing his soul and the idea of celebrating such a terrible anniversary held little appeal.

Inevitably, the ‘big day’ arrived and much as she wished it, spending the day in bed with the covers pulled up over her head was not an option. The sky was overcast and the day held the uncomfortable heat that warned that a storm was coming. With a heavy heart she got ready for school, bracing herself to pretend that she was happy and all was right in her world.

It was an act that she had perfected over the last few months; the only one she couldn’t fool was Angel. He always saw though mask she wore for the world, seeing right through to her soul as easily as she saw through to his. She could hide nothing from him. There were times when she wished that he would accept as easily as everyone else would but most of the time it was a relief to know that there was one person she could be herself with, one person who understood.

The thought of him brought a small smile to her face but at the same time she wished that she hadn’t agreed to meet him at the Bronze that night. Tonight she didn’t want to do anything except take a leaf out of his book and sit alone in a dark room and brood, which was, she suspected, precisely why he had been so determined that they go out. It was something she had done many times in the past, doing everything she could to cheer him up when the painful memories threatened to overwhelm him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day dragged by, as she had known it would and with a sense of relief she escaped to her room to change before going to the Bronze. All day she had said all the things her friends wanted to hear, she’d laughed on cue and smiled so dazzlingly that none of them had noticed that the eyes above it were dark and sad.

With deep reluctance she entered the Bronze, wishing with all her heart that she could just spend a quiet evening up at the mansion, sitting by the fire with Angel. Her friends were all sitting around a table not far from the stage and they spotted her the moment she walked in, calling her over to join them. Even Giles was there in honour of the occasion, trying manfully not to look as if he wanted to leave. She presumed that Jenny was there as well although, of course, she couldn’t appear in such a public place. Only Oz and Angel were absent, Oz was up on stage with the Dingo’s and nodded to her when she looked up at him but Angel was nowhere to be seen.

She looked around, her gaze probing the shadows where he invariably lurked, still unable to believe that he had been so thoroughly accepted by the group after everything that had happened, but he wasn’t there.

The Dingo’s ended their set and all but Oz descended from the stage. Oz moved forward to pick up the lead singer’s microphone and Buffy looked questioningly at Willow, only to find that she was staring at him in confusion.

"We don’t usually do this," Oz told the audience, "but a friend asked me to help him with a song for a very special girl," he looked over to the left of the stage and held out the mike, "Angel?"

Buffy watched in astonishment as her reserved and cryptic boyfriend emerged from the shadows where he habitually lurked and went up on stage to take the microphone that Oz held out to him.

He looked uncomfortable at being the centre of attention and if he’d been anything other than what he was, Buffy was sure that he’d have been blushing. Then his eyes locked with hers and his self-consciousness disappeared as the world around them seemed to fade away, leaving the two of them alone in their own private little world.

Raising the microphone his said simply, "Buffy, I mean every word," then, with Oz accompanying him on his guitar, he began to sing.

As he sang, Angel’s gaze never wavered from Buffy’s and she shivered in reaction. His voice washed over her, as smooth as silk and as rich as the red velvet shirt that he wore, his words caressing her almost like a physical touch.

Still holding Buffy’s gaze, Angel left the stage and came to stand before her. As he approached she got to her feet and came to meet him halfway. They stood together in the middle of the dance floor, Buffy’s eyes were brilliant with unshed tears and Angel reached out to gently cup her cheek in his hand. As the tears overflowed she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch losing herself in his voice.

As the song ended Angel wrapped Buffy in his arms, unaware of the applause that erupted all around them. She returned the hug, holding him tightly and burying her face in his chest for a moment before raising it to his for a sweet, loving kiss.

"Happy Birthday, Buffy," he murmured when it ended.

She gave him a radiant smile which, for the first time that day, lit her eyes from within and said, "That was beautiful, Angel, thank you. I had no idea that you could sing."

He smiled a little wryly, "I wasn’t sure that I could, it’s been over two-hundred years since the last time I tried!" A shadow crossed his face as it always did when he thought about the past and to keep him from brooding (and because she wanted to) Buffy hooked her hand behind his head and pulled him down for another kiss.

This time, when the kiss ended she was breathless and Angel’s eyes were a little unfocused. They stared at each other, unable to look away, stunned as always by the depth of passion that lay between them.

Willow called to them, breaking the spell and reminding them that they were still standing on the dance floor. Hand in hand they walked over to the table where the others were gathered.

"Wow! Angel, that was amazing!" exclaimed Willow, "I mean… I had no idea that you could even sing and then you got up in public like that and it was so romantic and every girl in the place wanted to be Buffy – except me, of course, because I have Oz and…"

"Willow, breathe," ordered Buffy in amusement, "You’re babbling."

"I know, I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m kinda excited and I’ve had coffee and… Giles can we go now? Is it time?" she asked suddenly, making everyone stare at her in confusion.

"Hmm…oh, yes, yes we can go now if you wish."

"Go where?" asked Buffy, "Giles, what’s going on?"

"Well, I…um…Willow and Jenny and I have prepared a…a small surprise for your birthday. I suggest that we adjourn to the library and then everything will become clear."

Buffy looked round the table, Angel, Cordelia, Oz and Xander looked as confused as she was but Willow was bouncing in her seat with barely suppressed excitement and, though far more controlled, the same excitement was clear on Giles’ face.

"Okay," she said with a shrug, getting to her feet, "lets go."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy pushed open the library doors and stopped, looking at the carefully arranged candles, runes and herbs and then at the circle and other symbols that had been drawn on the floor. "Okay…I’m guessing magic," she said dryly, moving forwards into the room to allow the others room to enter. "Are you guys sure you know what you’re doing? ‘Cos, you know we haven’t had the best of luck with this sort of thing."

"It’s a…" Giles began and then broke off, looking at a point slightly in front and to the left of Buffy. After a moment he nodded and then frowned in concentration. The air at the point where he had been looking shimmered and then Jenny Calendar stood there.

"Wow, still not used to that!" announced Xander at the same time Buffy said, "Hi, Jenny, so what’s with the spell?"

"It’s a binding spell, Buffy," she said gently, "we’re going to bind Angel’s soul."

She gasped and went pale, "Unconditionally?" she whispered, and the fearful hope in her voice wrung the hearts of those who heard it.

"Unconditionally." Confirmed Jenny, Giles and Willow in unison.

After all the pain that had gone before Buffy and Angel found it hard to believe that they finally had a chance to be together and, fearful of having their hopes dashed again, they needed details. "You’re sure?" Angel asked as Buffy reached blindly for his hand and clutched it tightly in both of hers, "You’ve found a way to alter the curse?"

"Not exactly," Giles told them, then, seeing the way their faces fell he explained quickly, "The curse itself is…resistant to change, any attempts to alter it will result in…in the loss of your soul, so instead of taking the risk we’re going to work around it."

"I don’t understand." Buffy said in a small voice.

"We’re going to bind Angel’s soul to the demon," Willow explained, then looked at Angel, "your soul will never be able to leave your body as long as the demon lives. That way, when the curse breaks nothing will change."

"One thing will change," Jenny disagreed, "the dream clause of the curse will be gone forever. The nightmares will end."

Angel looked startled; "My nightmares are…part of the curse?"

"Not all of them, I’m sure that even without the dream clause you would have nightmares, you feel things too deeply not to but…" she sighed sadly, "Yes, many of your dreams are part of the curse. They were intended to keep the pain fresh and increase the guilt you felt. The victims of the demon returning to taunt you as you sleep, reminding you of the pain it caused, the lives it destroyed." Her voice was bitter as she added, "It seems that my people have a capacity for cruelty greater than I could ever have imagined, nearly as great as the demon they despise despite the fact that they have souls.

Everything in that curse was designed to break you, they must have thought that you would suicide or go mad a long time ago but you were too strong for that."

"I thought about it," he admitted in a low voice, "Many times."

Buffy shuddered at the thought of how easily he could of died before she’d ever met him – before she’d even been born – and her grip on his hand tightened unconsciously until the pressure would have broken the bones of a normal man.

Willow saw the tension in her face and gently touched her arm, saying reassuringly, "It’s all right, Buffy, it’s over now and as soon as we’ve done this the two of you can be together. You can be happy again!"

Buffy’s eyes filled with tears as she finally allowed herself to believe and letting go of Angel’s hand she flung herself into his arms, laughing and crying all at once. He held her tightly and buried his face in her neck as his own tears fell.

After a long moment they separated enough to look at the others and discovered that everyone (except Xander) was smiling indulgently at them.

Angel looked at Giles and Jenny in wonder, he had hurt this couple beyond measure and in return they were granting him his hearts desire. "Thank you," he said hoarsely, "and you Willow, I…I don’t have the words…"

"Oh, yes! Thank you!" exclaimed Buffy, letting go of Angel and launching herself at Giles, making him laugh at her exuberance as he returned the hug. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"Rupert, concentrate!" demanded Jenny as she started to fade. He looked apologetically at her and focused on keeping her solid. As soon as she reappeared Buffy released Giles and hugged her tightly before moving on and doing the same to Willow.

Angel was more restrained, shaking Giles’ hand and kissing Jenny and Willow on the cheek but no one who saw the look in his eyes could ever doubt that he was as grateful and excited and Buffy was.

Calm once more, Buffy stood hand in hand with Angel and asked a little nervously, "What do we have to do?"

"Well, er, the…the ritual is really quite simple. Angel, if you would stand inside the circle, please, then Willow will light the flame," he indicated a bowl containing several different types of herbs and other things less easily identified, "while Jenny and I read the spell. If it is successful then the flame will flare bright blue and then go out."

"And if it isn’t? Is there any danger, Giles? Because I couldn’t survive losing him again."

"None at all, if the spell fails – and there is no reason why it should – the flame won’t change colour, that’s the only difference."

She nodded; accepting Giles’ words but it still required a great effort of will for her to release Angel’s hand so that he could step into the circle. He stroked her cheek gently with the back of his fingers and said softly, "It’s all right, Buffy, everything will be fine." He kissed her fiercely and whispered, "I love you" before stepping backwards into the circle, his eyes never leaving hers.

Lightening flashed and thunder rumbled outside, making everyone jump as the storm that had been threatening all day finally broke. Buffy glanced out of the window to where the rain was coming down in sheets and then looked back at Angel, her eyes full of the memories of another storm and saw that he was thinking the same thing. It seemed oddly fitting that the nightmarish events, which had been set in motion on the stormy night of her 17th birthday, would finally end in another storm exactly one year later.

Giles and Jenny began chanting in Latin, drawing Buffy’s attention back to the present just as Willow picked up a candle and used it to light the flame. The second the candle touched it, it flared brightly, a column of flame rising almost to the ceiling. At the same time, the circle in which Angel was standing began to glow. A stiff breeze appeared from nowhere; ruffling their hair and blowing loose papers from the table but the flame never wavered except to grow even brighter when Willow added to it.

The chanting grew louder and now Jenny’s words changed, becoming separate from Giles’ and yet in harmony with them. The wind became stronger, whipping their clothes around them and blowing hair across Buffy’s face, obscuring her view of Angel until she impatiently held it back with both hands.

Like the flame, Angel seemed unaffected by the wind. Standing straight and tall within the circle his gaze never wavered as he looked at his love. The light surrounding him grew brighter and brighter until it seemed that he, himself was glowing and it hurt Buffy’s eyes to look but she did not look away. A sudden compulsion seized her and without thinking she stepped forwards, raising her hand towards him. The others had all shielded their eyes against the glow and no one noticed what she was doing until it was too late. Drawn by the same compulsion as Buffy, Angel held out his hand to Buffy and their fingertips met at the edge of the circle. At the same moment, the chanting reached a climax and the flame suddenly flared a brilliant blue before both it and the circle disappeared as though they had never existed. A wave of power surged through Buffy and Angel and then receded leaving them weak. Like puppets whose strings had been cut they both collapsed on the floor, their hands still touching.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joy filled her as she explored the new connection between them and felt the love that Angel felt for her. At the back of her mind she could hear the demon’s angry roar at being caged for eternity but it was easy for her to ignore. Aware only of each other, they got slowly to their feet and their eyes opened and met, hazel orbs locking with chocolate brown. A thousand thoughts & feelings passed between them and without a word being spoken each learned all the secrets of the others heart.

As if from a great distance they became aware of the concerned voices of their friends and turned to face them, hand in hand.

"Buffy, are you all right?" Giles asked in concern, "What were you thinking, interrupting the spell like that? What happened?"

Buffy smiled at him and the joy and peace that filled her eyes silenced any further reproaches, "I’m sorry, Giles, it just…felt right."

Angel released her hand and his arm slid around her shoulders, she looked up at him, her eyes glowing with love and he smiled tenderly down at her before looking at Giles and explaining, "We seem to have extended the spell a little. My soul is bound to the demon as intended but it is also bound to Buffy’s."

"So…as long as one of you lives, the other will always be with them!" Willow exclaimed, "That’s wonderful, neither of you will ever be alone again!"

"Congratulations!" said Cordelia sincerely and, as if it had been a signal everyone gathered around to offer their own best wishes.

It was as if they had just got married, Buffy thought looking up at Angel. He picked up on the image in her mind and they smiled at each other, knowing that in a very real sense it was true. The world around them seemed to disappear, leaving them alone in their own perfect world. Angel leaned down towards her and their lips met in a gentle kiss.

Their friends looked at each other and smiled delighted that they had been able to give them this. Giles cleared his throat as the kiss deepened and threatened to spiral out of control and they pulled back, not in the least abashed by their actions.

Their friends looked at each other and smiled, delighted that they had been able to give them this. Giles cleared his throat as the kiss deepened and threatened to spiral out of control and they pulled back, not in the least abashed by their actions.

"Why don’t you two go home?" he suggested gently, "I imagine that you have a lot to…talk…about. Buffy, I’ll patrol for the next couple of nights if you want to take some time off."

The two lovers didn’t wait for him to change his mind, instead they immediately headed for the door. As they reached it they turned and looked back, their faces glowing with joy. "Thank you," they said together, "this means more to us than we can even begin to say!"

"Just be happy," Jenny said quietly and the others nodded in agreement, "that’s all we ever wanted for you."

After they had gone, Jenny turned to Giles and said with a satisfied smile, "I’d say the curse is already broken, wouldn’t you? I’ve never seen either of them look so happy."