Just in Time

By Hannah

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of BtVS if I did the shows would've ended differently then they did.

Spoilers: Becoming Part 2

Authors Note: I was listening to the Buffy/Angel love theme on the Buffy soundtrack. I can't believe that even after all these years I still cry when I hear 'Close Your Eyes' AKA Buffy/Angel love theme. It's beautiful and sad. In fact I think Becoming part 2 was the last time they played the love theme at least on BtVS and they played it at the end of I Will Remember You I believe. Anyway, when I was listening to the love theme, I got the memory of when Angel had his soul returned to him at the end of Becoming part two. So thats what this story is based on, only Buffy doesn't have to send Angel to hell. Oh God I haven't watched Becoming Part two forever so I don't know how well I'll remember the end. Well here it goes. In my story Jenny is still alive ans she and Giles are married.

Prologue

Buffy was fighting with Angelus, when the fight started Angelus had the upper hand and now Buffy was kicking his ass. Their swords clashed and they kicked and punched each other. Buffy kicked Angelus into the room were the Acathla was and had him at her mercy. She was finally ready to kill him she had finally accepted the fact that the man she loved was gone forever. She had to do this to save the world.

Buffy was about the close the gates of hell. Jenny was in the library casting the spell as Giles waved the incese burner around and Jenny finished the spell. The orb of Thesullah glowed and went to return Angel's soul to him. "Acum, Acum" Jenny finished the curse and the Orb of Thesullah glowed and went to restore Angel's soul to him and then Jenny tried to catch her breath and Giles went towards her and said placing his hand on her back "darling are you ok?" "Yeah I'm fine Rupert it's just the end of the spell was quite a toll on me it was like a hurricane went through me."

Angel cried out in pain and Buffy watched suspicously when Angel beant his head down into his knees and Buffy still held the sword up but looked suspicous and hopefully at Angel as he looked up and saw Buffy looking at him with a sword in her hands. Angel didn't even notice it he said "Buffy." She looked hopeful at him and looked in his eyes he was looking at her with love and confusion in his eyes.

Angel said "Whats going on?" She thought 'Is this a trick. Oh God let it be a trick.' He looked around and his beautiful face took on a look of confusion he didn't reconize his suroundings the last thing he remembered was falling asleep with Buffy in his arms after they had made love. He stood up and said "Were are we? I don't remember." Buffy lowered her sword and said hopefully "Angel?" Angel smelled blood and notticed the cut on Buffy's arm he placed his hand on her arm said "Your hurt!" Buffy dragged the sword on the ground and went into Angel's arms and instantly he had his arms around her and said while Buffy was still keeping her gaurd up incase this was a trick. He said "God it feels like I haven't seen you in months. God everythings so mudled I...Oh Buffy." She closed her eyes knowing that it was her Angel content to have him holding her in his strong arms.

All thoughts of saving the world disapearing from her mind, the world could go to hell for all she cared as long as she had her Angel with her forgetting all about the Acathla. He kissed her shoulder and Buffy heard the rumbiling going on behind her.

She saw the Acathla opening and she thought 'theres no way I'm letting my Angel go to hell when I just got him back. Why are you doing this to me! Why are you taking him away from me when I just got him back! What did Whistler say. His blood all I need is his blood.' He felt her stiffen and said "Whats going on." "Shhhh I love you." "I love you." She said "Angel look behind you." He saw the Acathla and said "Oh My God how does it get closed?" "Your blood Angel." Buffy reached for the knife that Dru handed him earlier and tossed it to Angel he cut his other hand and she handed him her sword and he stabbed it into the Acathla and it closed.

There was a bright white light and the two of them got tossed back. Buffy was on her stomach as she started crying softly after everything that had happened after her lover lost his soul and Angel was on his butt and said "Wow that was a tough one." He saw his beloved on the floor crying softly and placed his hand on her back and asked "Are you ok. Whats wrong beloved why are you crying? You know I hate to see you cry." "I'm fine." She wiped her tears away and then kissed him and he kissed her back and Angel said "Buffy whats going on here? The last thing I remembered was about us making love and why did you have a sword at me?"

She carressed his face and said "The memories will come back to you. Even though you don't deserve them." "What memories?" He then gasped and the memories came back to him achieving true happiness losing his soul. Mocking Buffy about their night together trying to kill Willow, Cordelia and Jenny torturing Giles and why Buffy had a sword at him.

He then let go of her feeling unworthy to touch her "How can you look at me or even let me touch you." She hugged him and said "because I love you Angel. It wasn't you who did those things to me" "but I stalked you, I tried to kill your friends and worst of all I mocked what was the best night of my entire lifetime and unlife. You know everything he said was false right?" Angel said holding her "Yes not at first but then when Jenny told me about the happiness clause I knew he was lying." "How can we be together Buffy? After what happend?" "I don't know." She then had a thought and said caressing his face "get some sleep I'll talk to Jenny. Please don't do anything rash. I just couldn't handle it if I lost you again." Buffy said looking seriously at him and the two of them touched forheads "Don't worry Buffy I'm not going to kill myself." "Are you sure your very vulnerable right now."

He kissed the back of her hand and said "I promise." "Ok I'll be back." She gave him a soft kiss and Angel went to lie down but was haunted by everything he did to the women he loved.

Buffy snuck into the library and said "Giles!" He came out of his office and said "What is it Buffy. Is Angel?" "Yes he's Angel again." "How about the Acathla?" "It's doormant thank God I was able to close it without using Angel just his blood. Wheres Ms. Calander?" "Jenny went home to get some rest the end of the spell took it's toll on her. Why?" "Well because I was wondering if she changed the spell or if it's the same." He said "Don't worry Buffy, Jenny told me she changed the curse. Angel still has a happiness clause but it's different. He'll become human again after he acheives true happiness and he'll start aging at the age he was when he was turned which I'm guessing is twenty-three or twenty-four."

Buffy looked happy and said "Really? So we can be together without worrying about Angelus?" "Yes Buffy, Jenny told me she wants you and Angel to be happy without having to worry about the consequences." "Thank God. Giles I need to go away for a while." "Buffy we need you here." "Please Giles Angel and I need some time alone together. He's very vulnerable right now about everything he did to me. The last thing he needs is Xander's venom." "but Buffy..." "Giles please, Spike and Dru are gone the Acathla is doormant, Snyder kicked me out of school and my mother kicked me out of the house. Oh Giles she knows." "Good God your mom knows about your calling?" "Yes thanks to our good friend Spike. You need to tell her everything, but please can I leave? You guys dealed without me last summer." "Ok Buffy were are you two going to go?"

"I think I'll take him to LA to meet my dad. Please don't tell the others well maybe Willow, Oz and Jenny, maybe even Cordelia but not Xander!" Buffy said shuddering at what Xander could do to her beloved Angel even though Angel would be human once he achieved true happiness. "Yes yes I understand it's not wise to tell Xander, but I will tell everyone else the news about Angel." "Thank you and tell Jenny thank you very much for Angel and I." "I will." Buffy hugged Giles and went back to the mansion.

Buffy entered the mansion and said "Angel?" She looked for him and saw him on the couch and she ran towards him she hugged him and said "Thank God your still here." Angel hugged her back and placed a kiss on the back of the head "Yes I am. I told you I wasn't going to do anything." He ran his hands over her back as they embraced Buffy snuggled her head in the crook of his shoulder and he ran his hand over her back and said "Angel make me a promise." "Anything." Angel said sincerly "Promise me you'll never leave me and that you'll always love me I couldn't stand losing you again or having my heart broken by you." Angel kissed her reashuringly and said "I promise Buffy, I'll never leave you not even if you kill me." Angel whispered the last part into her ear and tears started to fall down her face and Angel carresed them away and said "No matter what I'll always love you. Until the day my body becomes dust I will love you." Buffy smiled through her tears and Angel wiped them away and said "don't cry beloved you know I can't stand to see you cry." With those words the damn broke and Buffy started crying soaking Angel's shirt as she cried out all the pain and suffering she had gone through in the last six months when she was parted from her lover. Angel didn't stop her knowing that she needed this and cursed his demon for hurting her thinking 'at least your in hell were you belong Angelus!' Angel stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head.

Once Buffy had stoped crying she blushed when she saw that Angel's shirt was soaked she said "I'm sorry I got your shirt all wet." Angel ran his fingers through her silky hair and said "it will dry don't worry about it my love I can tell you needed it." "Yes I did." He said "What did you find out?" "Jenny changed the curse. She wants us to be happy Angel." "Thank God." Angel said kissing her she kissed him back and their kisses turned more passionate. Angel wanted to make sweet passionate love to Buffy again to show her just how much he loved her to prove to her that everything Angelus said to her the morning after was false, she wanted that to. Angel carressed her face and said "Are you sure you want to continue Buffy, or do you want to wai..." She silenced him and said "Shh yes Angel I want you to make love to me." "Are you sure?" She said "Yes Angel I'm sure." She proved it to him by removing her shirt she wasn't as shy as she was the first time and then Angel stroked her bare back and kissed her again. She kissed him back and then Angel lowered them onto the couch and he made passionate love to her.

They laid sprawled out on the couch and Angel had a blanket over them and she carressed his chest and said "Oh God that was amazing." "I know." He held her in his arms and she kissed up his bare chest he laughed and ran his hands over her arms "I love you so much Buffy." "I love you to Angel. Oh God I feel like I could touch the stars." "Me to Buffy." Angel carressed her shoulders with his hand and they fell asleep.

Angel felt the change in his body and soon he felt human and twenty-three again, he woke up and looked at Buffy she was sleeping peacefully on his chest. He was wondering why he was human, but at the same time he was content to be human again. He could give Buffy a normal life, marriage, days out in the sun having children. Angel already was happy about the idea of becoming a father and having Buffy as his wife and the mother of his children he knew his family would be proud of him that he had finally fallen in love and was going to settle down and start a family.

Even though he knew that technically they've been married since they cemented their relationship the night of her seventeenth birthday, because the ring he gave her was a wedding ring back in his day. Angel wanted to tell her that the next morning but now knowing that he couldn't because of the loophole that unleashed his demon after he experienced true happiness.

Angel stood up and carried Buffy to one of the extra rooms in the mansion that was near the garden and crawled in beside her holding her in his arms.

Angel watched Buffy sleep she looked so beautiful when she slept he ran his fingers through her hair, as Angel sat beside the women he loved teasing the ends of her hair with his fingers he made a vow that he would never do anything to hurt her ever again, he said "I promise you Buffy I'm never going to do anything to hurt you ever again. I'm going to love you forever and make sure you never get hurt by me again and make sure you'll never doubt that I love you." He vowed to her giving her a kiss on the forhead "I love you." He tried not to wake her he guessed she hasn't had much sleep in the last few months, Angel cursed his demon for hurting the women he loved even though he knew Angelus was in hell were he belonged.