Title: Wolf Pack
Chapter Title: The End
Author: Baby Blues
E-mail: purely_blissful@hotmail.com
Rated: NC-17
Disclaimer: Not mine, but the story is.
Summary: Buffy finally accepts Angel’s apology during an enchanting night, and she tells him about their baby . . . like he doesn‘t know already. ^__^
Dedication: To Sarah‘s brother, Jordan, if you don’t get OVER about that STUPID cleavage story, I‘m going to kick your ass from here back to Pacific Grove!! I’m serious . . .
Excerpt:
~Angelus: I love you so much.
~Buffy: I love you too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sound of an old twinkling and familiar tune woke Buffy up from her sleep that night. She blinked one, twice, pushing away the arms of slumber from her muddled brain as she tried to grasp at her surroundings.
She frowned slightly, rubbed her eyes with a yawn, and cautiously sat up from bed, gazing around her darkened room for any indication where the melody may be coming from.
Her movement caused Tiger to wake up from his own sleep at the foot of her bed. He gazed at her curiously until he, himself, heard the distant melody, his gaze looking around inquisitively for the source.
Buffy gazed outside her window and noticed a warm glow coming from the garden below. She pulled away the covers on her bed and stepped out, slipping on a pair of plain white sneakers and grabbing a white sweater. Tiger watched her carefully before following her out the door.
Buffy crept silently down the hall, rubbing her shoulders tiredly as Tiger trudged by her side in an almost happy little skip. She had to smile. Such a small creature with no problems weighing him down, and Buffy wished she was him.
Her feet was silent as she padded across the marble steps of the grand staircase of the Crawford mansion with Tiger’s light tapping footsteps just behind her. She hugged her sweater closer to her body as she turned and headed for the back door that would lead her to the gardens.
The freshness of the clear night invaded Buffy’s senses from the moment she stepped out of the safety of her home. Tiger ran freely ahead of her towards the light, wanting to bark out loud in excitement, but deciding to keep quiet, knowing that people were still asleep at this hour. God forbid Xander running out into the large open backyard with blood red eyes and a shotgun. The thought made the dog whimper a bit.
Buffy followed Tiger as made her way into the middle of the garden, where the angel fountain would be . . . but instead of the fountain, Buffy found herself staring at a glowing mini carousel.
It was the very same one from the North Wing Hall, with the tarnished gold poles, the scraped paint, the dusty seats, and the broken mirrors and light bulbs. But it had been fixed, and it stood in the middle of the garden in all its glory, playing that same old tune on the day she had that talk with Willow . . . and it was later on that same day when Angelus told her he loved her.
~You’re My Everything~
By: ? (1920’s song)
//You’re my everything, underneath the sun
You’re my everything rolled up into one . . . //
Unknown to her, tears began to form in her eyes as she walked slowly towards it, remembering that night as though it only happened yesterday.
{{ “I want to apologize for the other day, Buffy,” Angelus said softly.
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Buffy chuckled bitterly. “It was a stupid thing to ask when I already knew the answer.”
“You got it all wrong, luv,” he said through clenched teeth. }}
She sat down on one of the horses and the carousel slowly began to spin.
{{ “Do you love me?” he asked suddenly.
“Don’t get cocky and don’t rub it in my face,” she said, tears threatening to spill from her striking eyes.
“Tell me.”
“Yes!” she cried, “Are you happy!” }}
She rested her head against the golden pole as tears of happiness mixed with sadness streamed from her face.
{{ “Don’t mess with me, please,” Buffy begged.
“What do I have to do to prove to you that I’m in love with you?” he asked, “Get down on my knees? Exclude myself in the wood for days without eating?" He stared into her eyes. “I would die for you . . . ” he stated firmly, “I’d kill myself for you.” }}
“Hey,” a soft voice greeted her as the carousel continued to move.
She looked behind her and saw Angelus standing by the horse, a solemn expression on his handsome face. “Hey,” she greeted back tenderly, casting her eyes down shyly. “It’s beautiful,” she commented about the renovated merry-go-round.
“You told me once that you’d like to see this thing repaired . . . for the future generation of the pack,” he told her, patting the horse next to her and looking around the small carousel.
“I love it,” she smiled slightly, “Thank you.”
//You’re my only dream, my only reality,
You’re my idea of a perfect personality.//
“I want to apologize . . . “
“You’ve apologized enough,” Buffy interrupted him, and Angelus looked away, clenching and unclenching his jaws as was his habit.
“Buffy . . . I’m willing to beg . . . for your forgiveness, for anything. And I won‘t stop until you do,“ he said and got down on his knees, looking up at her pleadingly as he took her hand in his, “I may deserve it but God . . . I can‘t go on knowing that you no longer love me . . . that you hate me . . . ”
Buffy shook her head, “No, I didn’t mean it that way,” she looked at him, “I know you’re sorry for everything that has happened, and I finally realized that none of it was your fault.”
“But . . . “
“Don’t,” she said and placed her fingers against his lips. He closed his eyes and shivered slightly, relishing her touch that he hadn‘t felt since he brought her back home.
“It’s time that I apologized,” she told him truthfully as she pulled her hand away. “I’m sorry for not believing enough in you . . . in us,” her lips quivered faintly, “I now know that it wasn’t the site of Faith on top you that night . . . it was just my insecurities getting the better of me. She knew herself, she was comfortable in her skin . . . I still had to get used to mine.” She stared into his soulful brown eyes as he stood up, “I know what I mean to you . . . and . . . I know what you mean to me. I trust you with everything that I’m made of and . . . I love you with all my heart . . .”
Before she could finish, Angelus pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers. That was all he had to hear . . . all he wanted to hear. He put all his love, his passion, and everything into that kiss, and Buffy felt it within every inch of her body and her soul.
//You’re my everything, everything I need,
You’re the song I sing, the book I read . . . //
“I love you so much,” Angel said and pulled her against him, his heart beating briskly in joy beneath his chest.
She smiled and rested her head against his shoulder, tears rapidly spilling from her eyes. “I love you too,” she whispered back, and Angel held her tighter against him, thanking the Gods for giving her back to him.
He slowly pulled away, grasping her face between his hands. “I have a question to ask you,” he said seriously and quickly took out the white gold Claddagh engagement ring she had lost out in the woods before she got captured. Her eyes widened at the site of it. She had been looking for it everywhere . . . and he had it in his hands ready to . . . “Will you marry me?”
“You already know the answer,” she smiled.
“Humor me and just say it,” he begged.
“Yes, I will marry you . . . my angel,” she replied happily.
He almost howled, but kissed her lips instead, lifting her up from the horse and crushing her to his chest. This was home . . . in her arms, surrounded in her love, and it was the same for her as well.
//You’re a way beyond belief, and just to make it brief,
You’re my winter, my spring . . . my everything.//
“This is a good time to tell you that I’m . . . “
“I already know,” Angelus smiled brightly and looked down at her still flat stomach that would swell soon enough.
Buffy frowned. “Who told you?”
“Spike.”
“Remind me to kill him when he comes back.”
“My pleasure,” Angel smirked and said once more, “I love you, Buffy.”
“I love you too, Angel.”
Tiger barked happily at their feet, and the pair laughed brightly.
And the two destined souls finally found their fate . . . in each other, and the Moon Goddess and her Shadow King smiled in happiness . . . and in relief.
Continue to: The Epilogue
Back to Chapter 35: The Agreement