Just say you'll love me for the rest of your life
I've got a lot of love and I don't wanna let go
Will you still love me for the rest of my life?
'Cause I can't go on, no I can't go on
I can't go on if I'm on my own
'Cause I can't go on, no I can't go on
'Cause I can't go on, no I can't go on
I can't go on without somebody I can call my own
'Cause I can't go on, no I can't go on
Stay around, and never be alone...

The song ended, but Buffy and Angel continued to hold each other. Neither wanted the moment to end. It had to, an up tempo song began playing. They broke their embrace, and Buffy was worried he would leave.

"Are you leaving now?"

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked.

"No!" she shouted. "I mean, I thought you came just to show Kevin I have a date."

"Well, at first that's why I came. But, I'd kind of like to stay, if you don't mind."

'Mind? Hell no!' "You actually want to stay and be my..."

"Date. I would very much like to be your Prom date, Buffy."

Buffy smiled. "So would I."

"Did you guys go get pictures taken?" Willow wanted to know when Buffy and Angel made their way over a half-hour later.

"Yeah. We decided to get some so we'd have something to remember this night by," replied Buffy, who smiled at Angel.

"I never went to my Prom, this is the closest thing I've ever come. I don't want to forget it."

Willow grinned at him. "Are you having a good time?"

He nodded. "Thank you for convincing me to come, Willow. I'm having a great time." 'I could be anywhere with Buffy and have a great time.'

"Good. Are you going to Xander's house tonight?"

"Xander's?"

Buffy grabbed Angel's arm. "Oh yeah! Xander is having a post-Prom party/sleepover thing. Would you like to come with me?"

"I don't want to intrude or anything," Angel said.

"Not at all. You're my date, you wouldn't be intruding. Please come." Buffy really wanted Angel to go to the party with her, which would require him to spend the night with her. Again.

"Only if you're sure."

"Of course I'm sure. The more the merrier. We'll have a great time, and I know Xander won't mind if you come." Buffy glanced at Willow.

"He won't. I'll go tell him right now." As Willow took off to find Xander yet again, she thought, 'My plan is working perfectly. By tomorrow at this time, Buffy and Angel will be a couple.'

Prom continued for another four hours. Buffy had never had so much fun as she had that night. Being there with Angel made it even better. They weren't apart for more than five minutes at a time, dancing, laughing and simply enjoying each other's company. Throughout the night, Buffy caught sight of several of her female classmates eyeing Angel, but she paid no mind. He was with her, nobody else.

"This is going to work out perfectly," Willow said. "Xander, you know what to do, right?"

He nodded. "Yep. I still don't see why we can't let nature take its course."

"Like I told Oz, those two are way too stubborn. They need a push, and we are going to give it to them."

"Fine. But if it backfires, I had nothing to do with it."

"It won't backfire. I promise."

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," Buffy told Angel when they were walking to his car.

"If you don't want me to, I won't." Angel wasn't sure if she really wanted him there or if she was being nice and felt guilty.

"I would like it if you came, but if you feel uncomfortable..."

Angel smiled at her. "No, if you want me there, I'll go. Besides, it's not like I won't know anyone. I'm sure I will have a good time."

"Okay."

On the drive to Xander's house, Buffy stared at the road ahead of them, glancing at Angel out of the corner of her eye. His hair blew in the wind from his convertible. She bit her lip and looked at the road, trying to keep her mind off of how much she wanted to touch him.

Ten minutes later they stood on Xander's front porch, waiting for him to answer the door. "Hey there, you two," Xander greeted, opening the door.

"Hi. Are you going to let us in or are you going to have the party out here?" asked Buffy.

"Sorry, Buff. Come on in."

Buffy and Angel walked through the door. They were the last to arrive; Cordelia, Willow and Oz sat on the floor in the living room, watching television in their pajamas. Buffy asked Xander, "Where can we change?"

"My bedroom or the bathroom. Take your pick."

"Which do you want?" she asked Angel.

"I don't have a change of clothes," he told her.

Xander laughed. "You can borrow something of mine. They should fit."

"I guess I'll take the bathroom then," Buffy said. As she headed to the bathroom, Xander led Angel to his bedroom.

In the bathroom, Buffy changed out of her Prom dress and into a gray t-shirt and flannel pants. She wiped all of the make-up off her face, thinking about how great the night had been.

'Would I have had as good a time with Kevin? Would we be in L.A. right now, at the hotel? God, why do I even care? Stop thinking about what might have been. I'm here with Angel and I had a great time with him. Kevin doesn't matter anymore; I don't love him. He never made me feel the way Angel does.'

She returned to the living room, stifling a laugh when she saw Angel. Xander dressed him in a light blue Hawaiian shirt and black boxer shorts.

"What are you wearing?" she asked with a giggle.

Angel shrugged. "Everything else was too small."

"Yeah, well, Xander's kind of scrawny." 'And you are so big. Muscles...lots of them.'

"Hey!" complained Xander.

Cordelia stood up. "This sucks. There's nothing good on T.V.. I'm bored."

"We can always play a game," Willow said, winking at Xander.

"Let's play Truth or Dare," he suggested.

"Truth or Dare? Please, how juvenile," Cordelia commented.

Xander looked at Buffy and Angel. "Come on, guys. You two are the deciding vote."

"What about Oz?" Buffy asked.

"I go with Willow. She wants to play, so do I."

"Sure, count me in," the blonde Slayer replied. "Angel?"

He was a little wary at first, but if Buffy was going to play, he'd do it too. "Yeah. I haven't played in a long time, though."

"Great. Everybody sit in a circle," ordered Xander. The group did as they were told. "Remember, no changing your mind. Once you agree to truth or dare, you have to do it."

"Who goes first?" Oz asked.

"I'll start. Xander, truth or dare?" questioned Willow.

"Truth."

"How do you feel about Cordy?"

"She's my girlfriend. I care about her. More than I'd like to, sometimes."

"I believe you." Willow saw Cordelia grin at Xander's answer. "Your turn."

He scanned the group. "Buffy, truth or dare?"

She scrunched her nose. "Truth."

"Do you miss Kevin?"

"Not for a second," she replied without hesitation. "Cordy, truth or dare?"

Angel watched with interest as everybody answered their questions honestly.

None of them took a dare. He had to answer a few simple questions, like where he was born and how old her way. As time went on, the questions became increasingly personal.

"Angel, truth or dare?" Willow wanted to know.

He thought for a second. "Truth."

"Have you ever been in love?"

The question took him by surprise. But Willow knew the answer to it. "Not until recently."

Willow grinned. 'Maybe he'll admit it.' "Anyone we know?"

"I don't know."

"Okay, your turn."

"Oz, truth or dare?"

Twenty minutes went by. Cordelia became antsy. "I'm getting bored again."

"Fine. One more question." It was Xander's turn. "Truth or dare, Angel?"

He took a deep breath. "Dare."

Xander and Willow exchanged a look. "Okay. You can't go back. You have to do what I tell you."

"I know the rules."

"Alright. I dare you to kiss Buffy."

Angel and Buffy looked at each other. Both of their hearts beat uncontrollably, their hands becoming hot and sweaty.

"And no cheek kissing. Full on the mouth," Xander said.

They stood up, gazing for a few moments at one another. Their faces moved closer, and they instinctively closed their eyes as their lips touched. They each expected the kiss to last only a few seconds. Angel started to break away but Buffy wouldn't let him. She kept her lips on his, not letting him leave. She had been waiting for this opportunity for weeks, and wasn't about to let it pass her by.

Both were breathless when they pulled away. Their cheeks were flushed and lips red from the kiss. "Well," Cordelia started. "That covers that."

"Perfect ending, wouldn't you say?" Willow commented.

Buffy glared at her best friend. She pulled her aside. "This was all a big set-up, wasn't it? You know I have feelings for Angel."

"Buffy, I thought it was a push in the right direction."

"It was wrong, Willow. He doesn't feel the same way."

"I don't know. Looked like he was enjoying it to me."

"Just stay out of it. Please. You're pushing this and doing the whole matchmaker thing is only going to hurt me more. I'm just gonna get my heart broken. You can't force something that isn't there," Buffy pleaded.

'If only you knew the truth,' thought the redhead. "Sorry. I won't push anymore."

They all decided to get some sleep. It had been a long, busy day for all of them, and they were dead tired.

"Where are we all sleeping?" Oz wanted to know.

"Mom and Dad are out of town, so that leaves the three bedrooms open. Cordy and I will take my room, Willow and Oz in my parents' room, and Buffy and Angel can have the guest room."

Buffy groaned. Not about having to share a room with Angel, but because her friend had obviously been planning this. Xander showed everyone to their respective bedrooms. Upon closing the door, Buffy and Angel looked at the bed.

"You take the bed. I'll sleep downstairs on the couch," offered Angel.

She vigorously shook her head. "No. You can stay here. I'm not going to make you sleep on the couch."

"Then I'll sleep on the floor."

"Angel, you think I'd actually let you sleep on the floor? Nuh-huh. We can share the bed, it's pretty big."

"Are you sure about this, Buffy? If this is uncomfortable at all..."

"It's not." Buffy climbed under the covers of the bed. She waited for Angel to join her on the other side. Laying her head on the pillow, she closed her eyes. She opened them slightly, watching Angel as he removed Xander's shirt. She metaphorically drooled at the sight of his well-defined, muscular chest. He shut off the bedside lamp and laid on top of the covers. Buffy didn't question it, figuring Angel was keeping minimum safe distance.

His nearness made her shiver. She'd never felt so cold, despite the three blankets covering her. Trying to warm up, Buffy shifted her position.

"Are you okay, Buffy?"

"Yeah."

"Cold?"

She nodded. "A little."

"If you want, I can move closer. More body heat might warm you up. Would you mind if I do that?" Angel asked.

Once again, Buffy nodded. The bed shifted next to her, and she thought, 'He's getting under the covers. Oh boy.' Without warning, he embraced her, pulling her into his arms and closer to him. Buffy's back was pressed against his chest, and she sighed. She felt warm and safe, and immediately fell asleep, lulled by the sound of his beating heart. "Good night, Buffy," Angel whispered in her ear.

She had never slept so soundly. Maybe it was Angel's arms around her, or the near-perfect evening she just had, but Buffy slept like a rock. And she had a wonderful dream on top of it all. She and Angel were walking hand-in-hand through the courtyard of Sunnydale High. They talked and smiled at each other, kissing every couple minutes. Kevin saw them and strolled over, calling Angel a cradle-robber, and asking why he had to steal his girlfriend. Buffy told Kevin that Angel didn't steal her away from him. When Kevin said to stay out of it, Angel ordered the boy to leave Buffy alone. But the boy was stubborn, and shoved Angel, who shoved him back. The push knocked Kevin into a puddle of mud. Everybody around them started laughing at him, making pig noises.

"Guess you really are a pig, Kevin. And now everybody knows it," taunted Buffy.

She woke up, laying on her left side, still locked in Angel's embrace. Buffy sighed, not wanting this seemingly perfect moment to end. She brought her hand up to his arm.

"Morning," Angel said.

Buffy turned her head. Angel lay on his side as well, his eyes open and aware. He'd been awake for some time. "Morning to you, too."

"How'd you sleep?"

"Like I hadn't in weeks. You?"

"Never better." It wasn't a lie. With his angel in his arms, Angel had slept better than ever before.

Buffy yawned. "What time is it?"

"Almost ten. Xander is out getting coffee and doughnuts. He left about half an hour ago."

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You looked so peaceful. I couldn't bring myself to disturb you," he admitted. Angel unwrapped his arms from Buffy's thin form, sitting up in bed. "Hope you aren't mad."

Buffy watched as the blankets fell to his hips. 'He's only wearing Xander's shorts! Oh God, keep cool. And don't stare!' "Not at all. I need all the beauty rest I can get."

"That's not true. You are already beautiful."

"Thank you," she said shyly. "For everything. Last night meant a lot to me, you showing up and saving me from utter humiliation. And for coming to the party and putting up with Xander's cruel idea of fun."

He placed his hand on her upper arm. "I had a great time. I'd do it again just to see you this happy."

"For me?"

"In a heartbeat."

'Why can't I tell him how I feel? That the kiss last night was the best I ever had. And that falling asleep in his arms felt like home to me. That I want to feel that way every day for the rest of my life.' "I guess we should get up now," Buffy said.

He nodded. "Yeah, we probably should." They both climbed out of bed. "You take the bathroom first. I'll wait until you're done."

"Angel, you don't have to do that. I don't mind waiting."

"Ladies first. I insist."

Angel walked downstairs, finding only Cordelia sitting at the kitchen table. "Hello, Cordelia," he greeted.

The girl looked up from the newspaper article she was reading. "Good morning," she replied, emphasizing the word "good." He had not bothered to put Xander's shirt back on. 'No wonder Buffy's got it bad for this guy. Hello, like total Greek god. How lucky is she?'

"Is anyone else up yet?"

She shook her head. "Just you, me and Xander. Where's Buffy?"

"In the bathroom, we just woke up."

"Late night?" she implied.

"Not in the sense you mean, Cordelia. I'm not dumb, I know what you're implying. Nothing happened."

"Sure. Like that kiss meant nothing to you two."

Angel eyed her. "It was just a kiss. A dare."

"Uh-huh. You think what you want to, Angel. But I know better."

"Thanks for driving me home," Buffy said when Angel dropped her off.

"You're welcome. It wouldn't be right to make you walk. Here, let me carry your bag." Angel took Buffy's overnight bag as they walked to her front porch.

Buffy smiled at him. "I know I must sound like a broken record, but thank you again. Prom would have been a total disaster otherwise."

"No, thank you for making me see what I missed out in high school."

She looked down at the ground. "Um, you can say no if you want to, but I was wondering if you had plans for tonight. Giles wants me to patrol, since I didn't last night. I thought you might want to go with me."

"Thank you for inviting me. I'd love to."

"Great. Want to meet here at seven?"

"It's a date." He leaned down, kissing her softly on the cheek. "Bye, Buffy."

"Good-bye."

She watched him pull out of the driveway before entering her house. After closing the front door behind her, Buffy leaned against it and sighed.

Mrs. Summers saw her daughter standing there. "Have a good time, honey?"

"The best."

"I can tell. You're beaming. I haven't seen you this happy in a long time."

"You were right, Mom. I had the time of my life."

"See? Going by yourself isn't all that bad."

Buffy moved away from the door, heading for the living room couch. Mrs. Summers sat next to her. "Willow asked Angel to come and be my date. He saved me from being humiliated by Kevin and he wanted to be my date."

"Really? That was very sweet of him."

"And we danced and talked. It was like we were the only two people in the world. Then we went to Xander's house, played Truth or Dare and we had to kiss. Mom, it was the best kiss ever. I fell asleep in his arms...it was just amazing!"

Mrs. Summers took note of the expression on Buffy's face. "You really like Angel, don't you?"

"I love him. Mom, I know what you are going to say; that I'm too young. But I do. In the year I dated Kevin, I never felt this way. Like it was meant to be. Until last night, I wasn't positive, but now I am. Angel and I are soulmates."

"I would never judge you that way, Buffy. I trust you, and if you believe that you love him, I am happy for you. Have you told Angel how you feel?" her mother asked.

"No. I wasn't one hundred percent until last night. And before that, I didn't even think he liked me. Now though, I think there might be a chance. It was the kiss. I could tell. And falling asleep in his arms, it felt so right."

"Why didn't you say anything to him before?"

Buffy shrugged. "I was afraid he'd laugh in my face. You know I've never handled rejection well."

"What makes you think he'll reject you? Buffy, I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I will give you some advice. Tell Angel how you feel; find out how he feels. If you think there's something between you two, you deserve to know for sure. It'll save you a world of hurt later down the road. Being open and honest is the best way to start a relationship," advised Mrs. Summers.

"You're right, Mom. The worst that can happen is he says he doesn't feel the same way. I have to tell him. Now, before I lose my nerve."

"Coming!" Angel called, hearing the knocking on the door. He'd been laying on the couch, reliving the past twenty-four hours. He found Buffy standing in the hall when he opened the door. "Buffy."

She smiled sheepishly. "Hi, Angel. May I come in?"

"Of course." She stepped inside and he closed the door, asking, "Is something wrong?"

When he turned to face her, Buffy was standing a foot away. She didn't answer him. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing his face down to meet hers. She caught his lips in a heated kiss which he wasted no time in responding to. Neither broke the kiss until the need to breathe overwhelmed them.

"What...?" Angel started. "Did I miss something?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, you didn't miss anything. There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

She took a deep breath, preparing to bare her soul. "I'm in love with you, Angel. Not just in a brother-sister kind of way; in an 'I want to be with you forever' kind of way. And I don't know how you feel, but I couldn't hold it in anymore. It's been eating away at me for weeks. On some subconscious level, I think I've been in love with you since I saw you. I never knew how you felt, so I held back and kept it a sec--"

Angel hushed Buffy's rambling with a kiss of his own. He placed his hands on her waist, lifting her to his level with ease. Her hands made their way to his hair, running through the dark brown spikes. Angel pressed her even closer to him, not allowing an inch of space between them. The kiss slowly ended, and he placed her back on the ground again, staring into her eyes.

"I love you, too, Buffy."

"You love me?" an astonished Buffy replied.

Angel nodded. He took her hands in his, leading her to the couch. They sat down, still holding hands. "I love you. I have since the moment I first laid eyes on you."

"But..." Then it sunk in. "The girl you told me about; love at first sight girl who had no idea how you felt. That was me, wasn't it?"

"Yes, Buffy. When you walked into the library the first day we met, I knew. I loved you. My destiny walked into my life in the form of a beautiful young woman named Buffy Summers. You. And my life has not been the same since," he explained.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"At first, because of Kevin. You seemed so happy with him and I didn't want to ruin that. It would have been selfish of me. Aside from that, there's the Watcher's Council. They firmly believe that a Slayer and her Watcher should be distanced from each other."

"You aren't my Watcher, Angel," Buffy pointed out.

"Technically, no. But to them, I'm still a Watcher, and by training with Giles, I am taking part in your training. In the Council's eyes, I am your Watcher."

"They are thousands of miles away! How could the ever find out?" Buffy saw the look on his face. "Giles. But as long as he doesn't find out, the Council will never know."

"Giles knows how I feel. The way I act around you, it made him realize what was going on. I don't know if he's going to tell them or not."

Buffy touched his cheek. "That's all you were worried about? Giles won't tell, I know him. And Kevin is so out of the picture. He has been for weeks. What kept holding you back?"

He looked away. "I thought I scared you."

"What? How?"

"When we first kissed, you ran away. I was afraid I came on too strong and it frightened you," he admitted.

She shook her head. "I ran away because I was afraid you'd want more; that I'd want more and out of fear of what I might do. Angel, I've never been kissed like that before. So many emotions were running through me, I thought I would do something really stupid. Not to mention, I was afraid of what you might think of me."

"That kiss...it was amazing, Buffy. I could never think less of you because of it, 'cause I wanted it, too. I wanted you; I still do."

"Really?"

"I honestly believe you are my true love. The one I'm destined to be with."

"Me too," she agreed. "Where does that leave us?"

He cupped her face in his hands. "I am going to follow my heart. Buffy, it has led me to you. I want more than anything to be with you, whether it be as a friend or a soulmate."

"I feel the same way. Only I won't settle for friendship. I want the whole package. Soulmate. Forever."

"Forever."

A gentle, loving kiss sealed their decision.

Buffy sat in Willow's bedroom an hour later. She needed to tell her best friend everything that happened. "So, after I talked to Mom, I went to Angel's apartment. He barely got out a sentence before I jumped him."

Willow's eyes widened. "You're kidding."

"Well, I didn't literally jump him, but as soon as he closed the door, I kissed him. And he kissed me back and it was...wow."

"What did you say? What did he say?"

Buffy grinned. "I told him that I am in love with him, and I guess I started rambling because halfway through a sentence Angel started kissing me. And then he said he loves me too. Will, I'm the girl he told me about!"

"I know."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean you know?"

"A couple weeks ago, I heard Angel and Giles talking. I overheard Angel telling him that he's in love with you. I knew how you felt and how he felt, but it wasn't my place to tell you guys."

"And you decided to do a little matchmaking?"

Willow shrugged. "You two would never had admitted it. Xander, Cordy and Oz helped me. I convinced Angel to show up at the Prom, knowing that he'd want to go with you. Then I brought up Xander's party because I was sure you'd invite Angel. I came up with the idea for Truth or Dare, but the dare was all Xander's idea."

"I really should be mad at you for this little stunt," Buffy said to her. "But I can't. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have had the perfect Prom, or wouldn't have kissed Angel again, or have woken up in his arms this morning, or wouldn't have admitted to him how much I love him. Thank you, Will."

The two girls hugged. "What are you and Angel going to do now?" asked Willow.

"We're meant to be together, and nothing's going to stop us. Angel and I don't care what anyone else thinks. In fact, he's coming over tonight to meet Mom."

She asked Angel to come over half an hour early so her mother could meet him before patrol. Buffy and Mrs. Summers sat in front of the television, waiting for him to arrive.

"Honey, stop wringing your hands," Mrs. Summers told her.

"Sorry. I guess I'm nervous about you meeting Angel; afraid you won't like him," Buffy said.

"Don't worry so much. From what you've told me, I know I'll like him. If you love each other, just trust that. Forget everyone else."

Buffy sighed. "You're my mother. I need you to believe in us. If you can't, then I don't know what I'll do. I need your approval. I may love him, but you're opinion means a lot to me."

"Why don't we wait until Angel gets here and let me decide."

For the next ten minutes, Buffy tried to watch television, but it made no impact on her. The words went in one ear and out the other. At exactly six-thirty, the doorbell rang, making her jump off the couch. "It's him."

"Go answer the door, Buffy."

Mrs. Summers waited in the living room while her daughter opened the door. She could only see Buffy, and saw the grin on her face upon seeing their guest. A minute later, Buffy entered the room once again, holding hands with a tall, dark-haired man in his mid-twenties.

"Mom, I'd like you to meet Angel. Angel, this my mother, Joyce Summers," Buffy introduced.

Mrs. Summers extended her hand to the young man. 'Buffy wasn't lying when she said he was good-looking.' "It's a pleasure to meet you, Angel."

"Likewise, ma'am," he replied, shaking her hand.

"Please, call me Joyce." She took a seat on the reclining chair while Buffy and Angel sat close to each other on the couch. "Tell me a bit about yourself."

Angel took a deep breath. He tried not to show how nervous he was, but meeting Buffy's mother proved to be nerve-wracking. "I'm twenty-seven years old, I lived in L.A. almost my entire life, graduated from UCLA three years ago with a Master's in History."

"How do you support yourself?"

He looked at Buffy, who mouthed, "Tell her the truth." "I've been tutoring Buffy for almost a month now, so that takes care of my food expenses. But the majority of my income comes from the Watcher's Council."

"The Watcher's Council?" questioned Mrs. Summers. "The ones in charge of the Slayers?"

"One in the same. I've been training to be a Watcher for three years now. I came to Sunnydale to learn the everyday routine of the Slayer -- Buffy," said Angel.

"That's very interesting. So you are going to be a Watcher to a Slayer. After Buffy dies."

Angel saw where Mrs. Summers was going with this. "I'm not going to let anything happen to Buffy. I swear it. I love her, Mrs. Summers...Joyce."

"I trust that you won't let anything happen to my daughter. And by the look in your eyes, I can tell you love Buffy. I'm happy for you both."

"Thank you."

"What about your family? What do they think of your career choice, Angel?" she wanted to know.

When Angel didn't answer right away, Buffy grasped his hand. "I never met my father, he left before I was born. My mother...she died when I was six. Her Watcher raised me."

"Her Watcher? Your mother was a Slayer?"

"Yes. It's -- it's not something I'm comfortable discussing. I'm sorry."

Buffy glanced at the clock on the VCR. "Angel, we should get a move on. The vamps are going to be out soon."

He nodded in agreement. "You're right." They stood up. "It was nice to meet you, Joyce."

"Same here. Please don't be a stranger. You're welcome here anytime."

"Thank you very much."

Angel and Buffy headed for the door. "Buffy?" Mrs. Summers called.

"Yeah, Mom?" she asked.

"He's a nice young man, honey. Hold on to him with both hands. Don't let him go."

"I'm not planning on it."

Buffy and Angel walked through the cemetery. They'd come across two vampires in the hour since they began patrolling.

"I'm getting pooped," she said. "The vamps are out in full force tonight. Must be the weather."

"Yeah. Must be."

She glanced at him. His handsome face wore a mask of sadness. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. Don't worry about it."

Buffy stopped walking, and Angel stopped as well. "I am worried about it. If we're going to make us work, we have to be honest with each other. Please tell me what's on your mind."

Angel sat down on the grass, leaning against a gravestone. "I want so badly to tell you everything, Buffy. But talking about my mother is hard for me."

"Look, I'm sorry about what my mother said. She didn't know, Angel. And whenever you're ready to tell me about her, I'll be here to listen. Forever, remember?" She sat down next to him, holding his arm as a show of comfort, support and love.

"How did I get so lucky?"

"We're both lucky, I guess." She leaned over, kissing him softly.

"Aren't we supposed to be patrolling?" he asked when the kiss ended.

"We're taking a break. A pooped Slayer is a careless Slayer. Let that be lesson number one," Buffy told him.

Angel smiled. "Lessons now? Do I have to take notes, too?"

"No, let's leave that to Giles." She stared for a moment into the darkness. "Giles! What are we going to tell him? About us."

"The truth. I thought we didn't care what people thought about us. As long as we love each other, nobody else matters," reminded Angel.

"You're right. But I'm freaked now; we have to tell Giles. It never occurred to me, but what if he tells the Council and you lose your job?"

"Don't worry so much. If the Council fires me, then I can do something else."

Buffy looked at him. "You told me being a Watcher was all you ever wanted to do. Because of your mom." She realized she'd made a mistake in mentioning Angel's mother. "Oops. Sorry."

"It's okay, Buffy. You don't have to tiptoe around the subject. I think I'm ready to tell you about her, but now here, not now. Maybe tomorrow. And as for my being a Watcher, you're right. It is all I ever wanted to do. But if it comes down to choosing between you and the Watcher's Council, I'll choose you without a second thought. The Council means a lot to me, but you mean so much more. You're my true love, Buffy. Nothing will ever change that."

"You'd do that for me? Give up everything you ever worked for?"

Angel touched his forehead to hers. "Nothing else matters to me anymore except you."

Buffy hugged him close to her, leaning her head into the juncture where his shoulder and neck met, kissing his warm skin. "I love you so much. I never thought it was possible to love someone like this."

"Me either."

For the second night in a row, Buffy slept soundly. When she awakened Sunday morning she felt refreshed and relaxed, almost as if she were a new person. Her alarm clock read ten-fourteen, so Buffy climbed out of bed, stretching. She walked downstairs to the kitchen, expecting to find her mother sitting at the table. Instead, she found a note.

Buffy sighed. Calling Giles was the last thing she wanted to do. Patrolling hadn't exactly gone as usual. She and Angel spent more time kissing then slaying. Picking up the phone, Buffy dialed Giles' number.

"Hello?" he answered, on the third ring.

"Hi, Giles. Mom left me a note saying you called. What's up?"

"Did you just wake up?" he wanted to know.

"Yeah. I was a little tired."

Giles cleared his throat. "Was it a late night last night? Did patrol go well?"

"Uh-huh. Got four vamps in all. We had loads of fun."

"We? Willow went with you?"

Buffy didn't know whether or not to tell him the truth or not. If she told Giles that Angel went with her, he might find it a bit odd. They only patrolled together during the week. Or so he thought. "No. Me and the vamps 'we', not Willow and me 'we.'"

"Very well. Patrol was fruitful, though?"

"Yep. Told you, got four vamps."

"How was Prom, then? I know how excited Xander and Willow were about it. Did you have a good time?" Giles asked.

"I had a great time, Giles." 'Thanks to Angel.'

"I'm glad to hear it. I only called to see how patrol went last night. Unless something unforseen should occur, I'll see you in school tomorrow, Buffy."

"'Bye, Giles." Buffy hung up the phone. "Thank God that's over."

At two o'clock, Buffy was sitting on the couch next to Angel in his apartment, holding the picture of him and his mother. "I can't get over how cute you were," she said.

"Were?"

"Okay, so you're still cute. I love that little blue baseball cap. Do you still have it?"

He shook his head. "After we moved, most of my stuff stayed in San Francisco. I have very few things from my childhood."

"That must have been hard, leaving everything behind."

"I don't remember it really well. My mother's Watcher, Mr. Kensington -- I always called him Geoffrey -- thought it would be better if we moved away from the bad memories. Mom died on a Thursday night and we were in L.A. by Friday afternoon."

Buffy snuggled closer to Angel. "I'm sorry. Have you ever been back there?"

"In 1996, before I left for England to begin my Watcher studies, I visited her grave. Left her a dozen roses and told her how much I missed her. I haven't been back since," Angel said.

"What was her name?"

"Carolyn Reilly."

"She had a beautiful name. She was a beautiful woman, Angel. And she loved you, I can tell just by looking at the expression on her face in this picture."

He managed a smile. "I loved her, too. I only wish there was more I could remember about her."

"You were young." She rested her head on his shoulder. "There is one more thing I'm curious about."

"What's that?"

"I'm not sure if you even know the answer to it."

"Try me."

"Well, why did she name you Angel? It's such an unusual name," Buffy commented. 'Like Buffy is such a normal name, too.'

Angel exhaled deeply. "My mother had been patrolling with her Watcher when she was seven and a half months pregnant. They were attacked by a vampire, but before Mr. Kensington could stake him, the vamp kicked my mother in the stomach. She went into premature labor and gave birth to me the next day. The doctor's weren't sure if I would make it; being the early seventies, the hospital didn't have much in the way of neo-natal technology. She named me Angel so that if I lived or died, she'd always have an angel with her."

"I wish I could have met her, she sounds like a great woman."

"From what I've heard, she was."

Buffy wrapped her arms around Angel, giving him a long, loving kiss. "We'll visit her someday soon. You and me."

"You mean it? You'd go with me, Buffy?"

"Yes I would. I want to thank her for giving me you."

"How was your weekend? Anything interesting happen?" Cordelia asked Monday morning at lunch.

The gang sat at a round table next to the window facing the library. Through the library's window, Buffy could see Giles and Angel sorting through a pile of books. She licked her lips, imagining her lips on his, her hands in his hair, his hands running up and down her back. Buffy shook off the image. 'Not here. I can't be thinking about that here,' she scolded herself.

"My weekend was great, Cordy. How was yours?" Buffy knew what Cordelia was really asking, but wouldn't give out the details unless asked outright.

"Who cares about my weekend. I wanna hear what it was like to wake up next to Angel."

Buffy shrugged. "It was nice, I guess."

"Nice?" repeated the brunette. "Please, Angel is a total hunk, you shared a bed with him and all you can say was that it was nice?"

Xander raised his hand. "Hello, Xander's still sitting at the table. Do you really have to remind us that History Boy is good-looking? Because I think we already covered that awhile ago."

"Shut up, Xander," Cordelia and Willow said in unison.

"Come on," pleaded Cordelia. "I want details."

"Fine. When I woke up Saturday morning, I was in his arms and he was watching me sleep."

Cordelia widened her brown eyes. "Did anything happen? Did you two...?"

"No! Nothing like that happened."

"You might want to tell them the news, Buffy," Willow suggested.

Buffy glanced into the library window again. Angel looked out at the same time. She smiled. "Angel and I decided that we belong together."

"That's great. Congratulations!" Cordelia gave her friend a hug.

"It's about time," said Xander. "How'd you two crazy kids finally come to that conclusion? Because we've known for quite some time now."

"I had a long talk with my mother and she convinced me to tell him how I feel. So I went to his apartment and told him. I said I loved him and he said the same thing. And things just went on from there."

"Were there smoochies?" Xander wanted to know.

"Maybe. Okay, so there were lots of smoochies. At his apartment and on patrol."

"You guys were making out in public while you supposed to be patrolling?"

"You guys make it sound so bad. And we weren't in public. We were in the cemetery," explained Buffy.

Willow had a question. "What does Giles have to say?"

Buffy shrugged. "Angel and I haven't told him. We're kind of afraid of what he'll say."

"Why would Giles be upset about it?" Xander asked. "Angel's just your History tutor." He didn't know that Angel was a Watcher. Buffy never had a reason to tell him.

"Because Angel's a Watcher-in-training sent here to observe me and train with Giles. And Watchers aren't supposed to have any kind of feelings for Slayers. They're supposed to be detached."

Xander nodded his head in understanding. "Ah. I can see why Giles would have a problem with you two being a couple. Are you guys gonna tell him, though?"

"Eventually. But not right away. Yeah, it's going to be hard to keep it from Giles...he's always there. He will totally flip out, I just know it."

Throughout their tutoring session, Buffy and Angel had a hard time keeping their hands off of each other. They held hands under the table, brushed their legs against each other, stole glances at each other when Giles wasn't looking. He walked in and out of his office every five minutes.

"Is he ever gonna leave?" Buffy muttered under her breath. "We can't even get five minutes alone together without Giles walking into the room."

Angel grasped her hand. "Buffy, we'll be patrolling tonight. Alone. Giles won't be there."

"I don't want to wait that long. God, it took all my self-control to keep from kissing you when I walked in here. Even now it's hard," said Buffy.

"I know exactly what you mean. But we should get back to work before he starts getting suspicious."

"Probably a good idea." Buffy turned the page in her History book. "Be tutor and tutoree Angel and Buffy. Got it. Let's move on to the Nixon administration. Lots of fun there."

Angel gave her a small smile. "Maybe it'll get my mind off how much I want to kiss you right now."

"Save that thought for later."

Half an hour later, their History lesson ended. Buffy walked to the locker room to change into her workout clothes. Giles came out of his office once again and approached Angel, who stood at the table packing up the History books.

"Angel, a problem has arisen that requires my immediate attention. I won't be able to partake in Buffy's training session today. You've sat through enough of them, and I feel I can trust you to take my place," Giles informed the young man.

"You want me to train Buffy today?"

"I feel you can handle it. Can I trust you, Angel?" Giles asked with a raised eyebrow.

Angel was offended. "I would hope you wouldn't have to ask me such a question."

"I know your feelings for Buffy run deeply. I want to be sure you won't let them get in the way."

'A little late for that.' "Not to worry, Giles. Everything is under control."

"Very well. I don't know when I'll be back. Be careful, Angel. Buffy is a difficult adversary. She's strong and powerful."

Angel nodded. "I'm stronger than most humans; I inherited my mother's strength. Giles, I'll be able to hold my own."

"Good luck and I shall see you later." The elder Watcher exited the library.

Five minutes after Giles left, Buffy returned. She looked around, but didn't see her Watcher in the room. "Where's Giles?" she wanted to know.

"He had to leave. Some kind of emergency came up and he had to go," answered Angel.

"What about my training?"

"I'm doing it today. Giles thinks I'm ready to work on training with you."

Buffy grinned. 'Alone at last.' "I hope you can handle it. I may just kick your ass."

Angel lifted his gray sweater over his head and placed it on the table behind him. He wore nothing underneath, and stood bare chested in front of Buffy. "Don't hold back. I have a lot of my mother's strength, I can take it."

Buffy headed over to the cage where Giles keeps the weapons. She pulled out two swords, one for her and one for Angel. "Ready to fight?" she asked, tossing him one.

"Ready, willing and able. Hit me with your best shot."

She swung at him, narrowly missing his head. Angel blocked the next swing with a blow of his own. This went on for ten minutes before they dropped their weapons in favor of punches and kicks. Buffy eased her punches so as not to hurt Angel. He, however, opted to do just the opposite. He unleashed all of his strength, proving that he could take anything she threw at him. With one roundhouse kick, Angel knocked Buffy to the ground flat on her back.

"Ow," she complained. "That hurt."

"Sorry. Here, let me help you up." Angel held out his hand, intending to assist Buffy in standing.

When she gripped his arm, Buffy pulled him, forcing him to fall on top of her. "This feels a lot better."

"Buffy, you could be hurt."

"So kiss me and make it all better."

"Buffy..."

She wrapped her arms around his neck when Angel tried to stand up. Buffy used all of her strength to hold him in place. He couldn't get out of her grasp. Fearing he may be putting unnecessary pressure on her possibly injured body, Angel applied all of his body weight onto his arms, keeping his upper body off Buffy.

The kiss great from fun-loving to dangerously passionate in a short period of time. Their tongues dueled inside each others' mouths, and Buffy ran her hands across the warm, damp skin of Angel's bare back, trying to memorize each ridge. Her legs tangled around his, lifting his one pant leg over his calf.

Giles entered the library, staring in shock at Buffy and Angel's heated embrace on the floor. When he could form a sentence, he exclaimed, "What the hell is going on here?"

They disentangled their limbs and climbed quickly to their feet. Buffy straightened her hair while Angel fixed his pant leg. "Giles, this isn't what it looks like," Buffy said.

"Really?"

"I--I can explain," Angel began with a stammer.

"Let me guess. You were training and your lips fell on top of Buffy's?" Giles asked, matter-of-factly.

Angel gazed at the floor. There was no way he and Buffy could get out of this predicament without telling the Watcher the truth. She held his right hand in her left, placing her right hand on top of them. "Angel and I love each other very much and we belong together."

"Really?" he repeated. "When did this come about? Because last time I saw you two together you barely looked at one another. Now all of a sudden you're all over each other?"

"It happened this weekend, after Prom," Buffy said to Giles.

"I was under the impression you went alone, Buffy. Did you have a sudden revelation during the Electric Slide?"

"Willow asked me to go as a favor," Angel informed him. "She wanted Buffy to have a good time, so I went intending to be her date. Nothing more than that. Things just went on from there."

Giles nodded. "That explains why I was unable to get a hold of you Friday night. This -- this thing you two have decided upon is not a wise idea."

Buffy didn't get it. She expected Giles to be upset at first, but figured he'd get over his anger quickly. "Because of the Council? They are half a world away! And Angel and I don't care what they think; what anyone thinks. We're in love."

"Buffy, you being in a relationship with Angel is a mistake."

She threw her arms out in front of her. "Why? You've never had a problem with me dating before. You were always okay with Kevin and Scott and Owen."

Giles shook his head. "No I wasn't. A Slayer in a romantic relationship is dangerous. To both parties."

"What's so dangerous about me being with Angel? He knows who I am, what I am, he ca hold his own in a fight and he can protect me if I need protecting."

The Watcher exhaled his breath angrily. "Buffy, go change out of your workout clothes. I need to speak with Angel alone."

"No. Anything you say to Angel you can say to me, too."

"Now!" Giles shouted.

Glancing once at Angel before walking away, Buffy stormed out of the library.

"Giles, look--"

"No, I don't want to hear it," Giles interrupted. "But I do want to know what in bloody hell you were thinking. And for God's sake, put your shirt back on."

Angel did as Giles requested. "Buffy already told you, we love each other."

"Buffy is a naive, vulnerable, impressionable young woman. You are older and wiser, Angel. You should know better."

"I'm not going to hurt her. I love her more than I've ever loved anyone else."

"You know what the Council will say," he reminded Angel.

Angel shrugged. "So tell them. And while you're at it, why don't you tell them you love her, too. I know you do, she's like a daughter to you." He was beginning to lose his temper with Giles' threats.

"Yes, I love her, but I don't go making out with her on the library floor for everyone to watch, either! I hoped you would show better judgement than that."

"I refuse to apologize for loving her; it was beyond my control. You make it seem as though I planned it. Like I saw her and said, 'She's really pretty. I think I'll fall in love with her.' Love isn't brains, it's blood. And part of being in love is losing control. I may not have much experience in matters of the heart, but I know that much."

Giles frowned. "I suppose nothing I say will stop you from continuing on with Buffy. The repercussions of this decision are yours to deal with. Angel, you should have thought more about this before jumping into whatever you're jumping into with Buffy."

"I've thought about it for a month now. Any doubt I had flew out the window when Buffy said she loves me. And there is nothing you can say or do to change my mind. I'm old enough to make my own decisions, Giles, I don't need your blessing. If you'll excuse me, I have to go find Buffy."

After Angel left, Giles entered his office, pulled out his address book and dialed the long-distance number he searched for. He waited anxiously until it was the answered on the other end.

"Hello, this is Rupert Giles...I am fine, how are you?...I'm glad to hear it. I'm sorry to bother you, I know how busy you are. But there is a problem here that I believe you can help me with. It's in regards to Angel. I desperately need your help."

"Will, it was horrible," Buffy said on the phone with Willow before dinner. "Giles totally lost it. He yelled at me and said that me and Angel are a bad idea."

"Maybe he just needs some time. It must have been a big shock to him, seeing you two making out on the floor."

"I guess so. But he could've been more understanding. He acted like we were driven by our hormones or something like that. We aren't, though. Angel and I love and respect each other."

"I know that, Buffy. I can see where he's coming from, though. He walked into the library and found you two getting hot and heavy on the floor. Maybe he thought you were going to...to sleep together if he hadn't come in when he did." Willow was trying to see things from Giles' perspective.

"No way! I'm not ready for that yet."

"Then let me ask you this: when Giles walked in, how far had you gone with Angel?"

Buffy sighed. She knew what Willow was getting at. "We were on the floor. I guess at least second base, pushing third. But that still doesn't give Giles the right to say that stuff about us."

"He's only looking out for you. He could think you're still on the rebound from Kevin."

"No. Giles said me and Angel were dangerous if we are a couple. God, I wish he could see things the way I do. I'm over Kevin, I love Angel. Why can't he see that?"

"Buffy! Dinner!" Mrs. Summers called from the kitchen.

"I have to eat dinner now. See you tomorrow, Willow. 'Bye." Buffy hung up the phone and headed for the kitchen. She sat down in her usual chair.

"How was school today, Buffy?" Mrs. Summers asked.

Buffy shrugged. "Okay, I guess." She didn't feel like telling her mother about the incident in the library.

"What's wrong? Something's bothering you, I can tell."

"It's nothing. I just had a bad day."

"Did something happen with your friends? With Angel?"

She shook her head. "No. Everything's fine with them."

"Then what is it?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Can we eat, please? I'm hungry and I have to patrol tonight," Buffy said.

"Is Angel going with you?"

"No. I'm stopping by his place after I'm done. I may be home a little later than usual."

Mrs. Summers eyed her daughter. "I hope you're not planning on doing anything irrational."

"Mom, don't worry. Angel and I are taking things slowly. I'm not ready for that big of a step," Buffy reassured her mother.

"Alright, I believe you and I trust you. I'll extend your curfew to eleven, but not a minute later."

Buffy smiled. "Thanks. I just really need to talk to him."

"I still don't get why Giles flipped out. Yeah, I understand it, you're a Watcher and I'm a Slayer. But we love each other. He should be happy for us," Buffy said. She felt tears running down her cheeks.

"You don't have to cry over it. He'll come around. Right now he's in shock over what he saw," Angel tried to comfort her. He pulled her face to his chest, letting her cry.

She sniffled. "Is he going to tell the Council?"

He caressed her cheek with his fingers. "I don't know. Personally, I don't care. I love you. And I don't think he could say anything. It would be hypocritical of him to do so. Giles thinks of you like a daughter, so in a way, he loves you, only different from the way I do. Telling the Council and having them investigate would jeopardize his job, not just mine."

Buffy leaned her head up, kissing his neck, working her way up to his lips. Unlike the last time, Angel didn't try to stop her. He kissed her with the same ferocity, plundering her mouth with his tongue. She moaned with pleasure when his hands roamed under her shirt, moving up and down her back, and when his lips trailed from her mouth to her ears and then to her throat. He moved his hands, putting them on her upper arms, pushing to her lay flat on the couch cushions.

With Angel on top of her, Buffy took the opportunity to remove his sweater, leaving him as clothed as he had been earlier. She raked her nails across his skin, moving her hands up and down gently. "Oh God, don't stop. Please, I love you, don't stop," she whispered as he nibbled on her earlobe.

A knock on the door caused Angel to stop his ministrations. "Don't answer it," Buffy told him.

"I have to. It might be important." He climbed off of her and pulled his sweater back on. He opened the door, surprised to see a tall, salt-and-pepper haired man standing on the other side. "Geoffrey."

Geoffrey Kensington smirked at Angel. "Hello, Angel. Aren't you going to invite me in?"

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