Angel came down the stairs of the Hyperion Hotel after having woke up around noon. Cordelia, Wesley, and Gunn were in the main room as he had expected.

Cordelia looked up from her desk as she heard his descent. She glanced over at Gunn and Wesley and they, in turn, glanced at her. They were all thinking the same thing.

Angel made his way to the coffeepot, not even paying attention to the unusual and somewhat uncomfortable silence. He didn't notice it even though it was quite...well, tension-filled.

It was obvious that Wesley and Gunn weren't going to tell Angel so that left Cordelia. She inwardly groaned. Why did she always have to take care of the hard stuff? Why did she have to be the one to tell him? He's just end up going into brood-mode and she really didn't want to watch that...and she didn't want to be the partial cause of it either. Something like this could never be a good thing...and the outcome would most likely be the same.

Regardless, she couldn't keep it from him. She had once told Doyle that secrets were bad. She believed that then and still did. She believed in it and couldn't go against it. It had become a "company" rule after all.

She had thought about just disposing it, but she, along with Wesley and Gunn, decided against it in light of their truth rule...besides, they didn't even know what it held, what it would bring. It might not necessarily be bad. Maybe it would make Angel happy instead of...well, instead of broody and miserable.

Cordelia sighed, picking up a stack of letters. "Uh, Angel..." She started, walking over to him.

"Yeah?" He asked, turning his attention toward her.

"The mail came." Cordelia told him, holding up the various letters. Okay, so she wasn't going to tell him directly, but at least he'd get it.

Angel smiled at her. "Just leave it on the table. I'll take a look at it later." He said dismissively.

"No." She said with emphasis. "You should really take a look at it now."

Angel looked back at her, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. She was acting strangely and now that he thought about it, Wesley and Gunn were looking at him bizarrely. "O-kay. I'll take a look at it now." He took the envelopes from her. "I don't get what's so important..." His voice trailed off as he came upon what was so important.

It was a letter...from Sunnydale...from Buffy.

Angel looked back up at Cordelia before glancing over at Wesley and Gunn. It was a letter from Buffy. It was just a little unexpected...and just a lot overwhelming. It was a letter from Buffy. "Uh, yeah." He cleared his throat, not tearing his gaze from the letter...from the handwriting...the familiar handwriting that belong to her...to the center of his soul...to the beat of his heart...to Buffy. "I'll be in my room if you need me." He didn't bother to look at any of them as he placed the remaining envelopes next to his untouched coffee and ascended up the stairs he had come down not five minutes before.

"Something tells me this is not going to turn out well. For any of us." Cordelia declared, staring after Angel.

"I'm not about to disagree with you." Gunn said from his place on the couch. Wesley and Cordelia had informed him of Buffy and Angel's relationship and everything that went along with it when they had received the mail that morning.

Angel sat in the armchair in his room staring at the unopened envelope that was addressed to him. He wasn't sure if he wanted to open it...if he wanted to know what it said.

Aware that he couldn't put if off forever, he opened the envelope, retrieving a white letter. He paused, taking a deep, unneeded breath before proceeding to unfold it.

He read over her words, listening to her thoughts, feeling her emotions. When he was done, he sat there just staring at it, not focusing on anything. Not seeing anything. Just staring.

After a few minutes, he returned to reality...if you could really call what he just read and what it now meant to him a reality. Putting down the letter, he stood up. Grabbing some paper and a pen, he sat down at the small table in his room. He picked up the pen, placed it to the paper, and began to write.

Dear Buffy,

I just received your letter. And to be completely honest, I was afraid to read it. I was afraid of what it could mean for me...for us. But I managed to get over my fear. I read it. I read what you wrote and it impacted me.

I sat there and took in all of your words. And with everything, I, too, came to a realization...

Everything that has happened over the past year and a half has been one huge falsity...

After reading your words, I realized your utter confusion and misinterpretation of thins. Despite what you may think or believe, I haven't stopped loving you. You asked me how to fall out of love and because of that, I can't give you an answer. You were right to feel it impossible to. It is. If there is one thing I have learned in these long, endless months we have been apart, it is that.

I love you and I will forever.

And along with that realization, I have become aware of the fact that I don't want to try to feel any other way. I couldn't even begin to be capable of it.

I wish you didn't have to ever doubt my love for you. I know that is painful and I'm sorry for inspiring such questions in your heart. And I want to amend it. I want you to know it isn't necessary and I want you to be secure in knowing that. And with everything else, I have also realized that I am not only your destiny but you are mine as well. You were my destiny since forever and I know that now. I was born to love you. It was always my fate. You are the only reason I still exist in this world. You are my purpose. You are what gives me life.

We are connected in a way that is very rare and difficult to discover, but I have. We have, together. We, you and I, are soulmates. We belong together. My soul and yours. And through everything, I want you to have that and hold onto it. Our souls are bound together out of our love and they will be always.

I know that and I am sorry for ever leaving you. I'm sorry for telling you to live your life without me. I didn't mean. I didn't mean any of it. Not then and not now. I know you want to be with me. I want to be with you too. And with all the confusing and difficult circumstances that surround us, you need to hold onto that as well. I wrote you this letter not only to tell you how I feel but to give you something as well because you have already given me so much. You don't have to wear it if you don't want to. I just thought you should have it. After all, it could never belong to anyone else...my heart won't let it.

Always, Angel

Angel gently placed the pen on the table. He didn't dare look over the letter. He knew if he did, he wouldn't be able to send it. He would lose any courage he had and wouldn't get the chance to tell her how he felt. No, he wasn't even going to look at it. He was going to fold it and put it in the envelope.

He addressed the envelope after sealing it. It was reading to be sent.

Taking a deep breath, he stood up, letter in hand, and left his room. Making his way down the stairs, he grabbed his jacket.

"Where are you off to?" Wesley asked upon seeing him.

"I'll be back." He said, walking out.

****** Buffy descended down the stairs of her mother's house. She had been staying there ever since her mother had become sick.

It had been days since she had sent Angel that letter. She hadn't gotten a response. Not that she really expected one. She only wrote the letter so he would know how she felt. But she was just worried. Did he even receive it? Did he read it? Did he care?

She entered the living room where her friends were waiting. They were supposed to be having their weekly Scooby meeting to make sure everything was taken care of. "Okay, so where were we?" Buffy took a seat on the sofa next to Willow and Tara.

Dawn walked into the living room holding a stack of letters. "Buffy, mail's here." She said with a grin, interrupting their conversation.

"Okay, I'll look at it..." She trailed off as she noticed Dawn's expression. She had confided in Dawn, telling her about the letter she had sent to Angel. "Anything good?" She asked, inconspicuously indicating it.

"Yeah...especially the third letter from the top." Dawn told her, pushing the mail at her.

Buffy hurriedly took the mail from her younger sister, selecting the third envelope in the stack. "Buffy, that's from-" Willow started noticing the return address on the envelope.

"Yeah." She said, not really paying attention to her. She was more interested in what was inside the envelope. "Give me a minute." She walked out of the room to the kitchen, completely transfixed by the object she held in her hands. Sitting at the breakfast bar, she opened it, taking out the folded paper. Figuring it was inevitable, she unfolded it and began to read what was written. It took her ten minutes to finally read the entire thing...considering she could barley see through the tears that overwhelmed her. Did he really write that? Did he really mean those things? He couldn't possible. That would mean all of her wishes came true...all of her dreams became a reality. And with her, that never happened. It couldn't seem to be a truth because she was never allowed happiness that wasn't to be taken away...but the amazing thing was, it was real and true. The letter created a new reality for her...a fantastical, enchanting one. One where Angel, the man she had loved so completely since...well, forever, the man that centered her soul, loved her back.

She remembered he had mentioned a "gift" he wanted to give her. She peered inside the opened envelope and discovered what he meant. She nearly gasped, her hand going to her mouth. Reaching inside the envelope, she pulled out a small silver ring...a claddaugh ring...her claddaugh ring...the one Angel had given her so long ago...the one she had to let go of after she thought she had lost him. She placed the symbolic band on her finger. It fit perfectly...and it looked so right...it felt so right...to be wearing that ring which Angel had given her so long ago to symbolize everything they had and everything they were. Buffy wiped the tears from her cheeks, not wanting anyone to see...even though they were tears of joy. She folded the letter back up, carefully placing it inside the envelope. She took a deep breath before heading back into the living room.

"Sorry to keep you guys..." Buffy trailed off as she noticed the new occupant of the room. It was him. She stopped moving, somewhat in shock. "Angel."

"I know I said you didn't have to wear it but I was kind of hoping you would." He said softly, smiling at her.

She smiled back at him, tears beginning to freshly cascade down her delicate cheeks. She slowly raised her left hand, revealing the claddaugh ring on her ring finger, the heart pointed toward her. "Way ahead of you." "Good thing I decided to wear mine." He said lightly, mirroring her action, holding up his left hand to reveal his ring, the heart pointing toward him as well. Before they or anyone else could say anything else, Buffy walked to him, right into his arms. That's how it was supposed to be after all.

"Great. Does this mean they're going to be making out all the time, now? Because I really don't want to see that...again." Dawn said not really to anyone, just to lighten the tone of things a little.

Buffy and Angel didn't notice. They were too wrapped up in each other. They were where they were supposed to be. They were meant for each other. They were soulmates. They would be together through life, death, and the infinity after that.

THE END...feedback please!!!