DISCLAIMER: Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kazui, Sandollar, FOX and the WB own all things BtVS.

Author's note: This is for Helen F who has put up with my continous talking about Buffy and Angel for ages. Ohh, and I was typing this late at night, in about ten minutes

NB: I just watching Becoming for the thousandth time and came up with this. It's based on the idea that to close Acathla she needed a body and Angel's blood

Spoilers for Becoming

"Buffy?" Angel looked at her in confusion "What's going on?" Slowly he stood "Where are we? I-I don't remember." Buffy lowered her sword "Angel?"

"You're hurt." Angel pulled her into a tight embrace "Oh, Buffy...god. I feel like I haven't seen you in months. Oh god! Everything's so muddled. I-- oh." Tenderly he kissed her shoulder "Oh, Buffy. What's happening?" Glancing behind him Buffy noticed Acathla's month start to open

"Shhh. Don't worry about it." Buffy leant in and kissed him "I love you."

"I love you."

"Close your eyes."

Trusting he closed them, his lashes sooty on his cheeks. She looked at him wanting to memorise every feature on his face. Glancing behind him she realised time was running out. Tears were running freely down her face she leant in and ever so softly kissed his lips. She stepped back and drew her arm back, She looked at the face she loved more than life, and the vortex grew. She was the slayer, this generation's slayer; the watcher's introduction to the slayer ran though her mind. In every generation there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the monsters. As one dies, another is called and so it goes on. She is the slayer. If she died it wouldn't mean any thing in the grand scheme of life. She was just one of an endless succession of slayers. Her family would be hurt but her destiny would be complete. Angel was an innocent dragged into this life wrongly, He was the only ever souled vampire, who knew if another would ever happen, he was a miracle and the world needed him.

She sliced open his side seeing the betrayal in his eyes as he opened them, moving behind him she drew the sword back and pushed it into herself feeling the delicious pain as it slid into her midriff like a knife into butter. She gasped in pain and felt herself being sucked in. Angel turned and looked at her in horror. Quietly, almost too softly she murmured "Sorry" Angel stood frozen as she slipped from sight vanishing to the statue.

He stood staring long after the stone had returned to stone and all was quiet. Finally he collapsed screaming out the injustice of it. In the midst of his grief a memory rose and with horror he remembered his sins. Blood tears ran down the souled vampire's face as he resaw again and again in his mind's eye the sight of the slayer giving up her life for a vampire.

Rising he decided one thing it would not be in vain, and he walked out into the velvety night, determined to make amends.