Sunnydale, California 2008
The only problem with her life was her impending death. She couldn’t go on kidding herself that she would keep on winning. She knew she was cheating death. It was a fact that a slayer’s life expectancy was next to nill. Kendra had come and gone and been replaced with another. Gretchen had lived only a year after being made the slayer and the newest addition was a young French girl named Jeanette. Buffy sighed. She had outlived Kendra and Gretchen but common sense said there was no way she would outlive Jeanette.
She looked at Angel sadly for a moment. Why did slaying always have to drag down her mood? She had been happy for a few hours. She had felt like a normal 27 year old. And now as she drowned out the lively banter between Angel and Xander she found herself lost in thought.
Angel looked down at her and gently touched her cheek, noticing her sudden silence. He was used to it. He only wished there was something he could do to take all the pain and fear from her. But he couldn’t.
It was three-thirty when they got to Buffy and Angel’s place, a large three story house not far from where Buffy’s mother still lived on Rubello Drive. It had been decided at the Bronze that Xander would stay with them at least until he got his own place. It wasn’t like they didn’t have the room or anything.
Angel went up to his and Buffy’s room while Buffy helped Xander get settled in the guest bedroom. He opened one of his dresser drawers and dug until he found what he was looking for. A small jewelry box. He opened it to look at the surprise it contained. He had bought it six years earlier when he and Buffy were in New York City. It was a large antique diamond engagement ring and the saleslady had asured him that if her boyfriend gave that to her there was no way she would say no. Somehow though everytime he decided to ask her something in his head told him he was being foolish.
He shoved the ring back into the drawer when he heard her footsteps in the hall. She stood in the doorway and smiled at him. “What are you looking so guilty about?”
“Nothing. Come here.”
She walked across the hard wood floor and into his waiting arms. “I love you, Angel.” She said looking into his eyes.
“I love you too.”