"The One I Waited For"

Author: Michelle
Email: michellabella52478@yahoo.com

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Angel stared at the man. Geoffrey Kensington was the last person he expected to see standing at his doorstep. "Oh." He motioned for his mother's Watcher to enter, knowing better than to invite anyone into his apartment after sunset.

Geoffrey entered. He stood just inside the apartment, leaving just enough room for Angel to close the door. Taking a look at the rest of the room, he found a pretty young girl sitting on the couch, smiling shyly. "Hello there. You must be Buffy Summers. I'm Geoffrey Kensington," he said with a slight British accent.

"Hi. Nice to meet you." 'I think.'

"It's not that I'm not happy to see you, Geoffrey, but why are you here?" asked Angel.

Geoffrey looked from Angel to Buffy and back again. "Oh dear. Am I interrupting something?"

Buffy shook her head. She could tell that Geoffrey wanted to speak to Angel in private. "No, I was just about to leave anyway." Standing up, she walked over to the door where Angel stood. "I will see you tomorrow, okay?"

Feeling he might be too embarrassed to kiss her front of Geoffrey, she gave his arm a squeeze and left the apartment.

"Have a seat," Angel invited.

Geoffrey did so. "Your shirt is on inside out, son," he informed.

Angel fixed his shirt, slightly embarrassed. "I pose the question again. Why are you here?"

"It occurs to me that you have been living in Sunnydale for months now and I have never seen your apartment."

Angel narrowed his eyes. "You drove two hours from L.A. just to see my apartment? Why don't I believe you?"

"To be truthful, that isn't why I came. Earlier today, I received a phone call from Rupert Giles. He was concerned."

"Giles called you? What exactly did he tell you?"

"Simply that you are treading some dangerous water with the Slayer. Buffy." Geoffrey laughed. "I will say this, son, you certainly have great taste in women. She's quite a looker."

"So he sent you here to read me the warning label attached to her? You don't have to bother, Geoffrey, I know what I'm getting myself into."

Geoffrey shook his head. "No, I don't believe you do. You couldn't possibly fathom how dangerous this is for you."

Angel, who had been pacing the living room, stopped in his tracks. "I love her; she loves me. How is that dangerous? Because she's the Slayer? I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

He shook his head again. "Being in love with the Slayer will only lead you to heartache. I don't want you to go through that kind of loss."

"Like you did with my mother?" shot Angel.

"Excuse me?"

"Please. I know you were in love with my mother. That's why you took me away from San Francisco so soon after her death. Geoffrey, you couldn't stand the memories. How certain places would make you think of her, every time you'd walk by the cemetery you'd think about how you found her body there. You couldn't stand to be plagued by the memories of how you lose the one you loved."

"Angel, Rupert and I are only looking out for you best interests. Neither of us want you to get hurt."

"I'm not going to get hurt."

"You may think so now, but what will happen when Buffy falls at the hand of her foe? A demon or vampire takes her away, what will you do, son? Give up on life as well? Have you even thought about it?" posed Geoffrey.

"I refuse to let anything happen to Buffy. I love her more than anything else. I'll protect her in any way I can."

Geoffrey smiled ever so slightly. "Had you said that about any other girl but the Slayer I would be happy for you and wish you both the best of luck. However, with this girl, I cannot stand by and let you make what very well be the biggest mistake of your life."

"Shouldn't that be my decision?"

"Son, sit down please." Angel sat on the black leather reclining chair across from Geoffrey. "I have never wanted anything except for you to be happy. Carolyn would have wanted me to give you the joyful, safe, normal upbringing she couldn't give you. And by taking you to Los Angeles, I thought I was doing that.

"But you were always a melancholy child, Angel. Nothing I did for you changed that. I raised you as best I could, bought you all the things you wanted, sent you to the best schools and universities in L.A.. Yet nothing made you happy. Carolyn took a piece of your heart with her when she died.

"I hoped that someday you would meet a young lady who could lead you out of this withdrawn, almost anti-social state you lived in. Four years of high school and six years of university gave me the highest hopes that you'd meet her. I even believed that Brittany MacKenzie might have been her."

Angel raised his eyes. "I went out with Brittany once, only because you asked me to."

"You looked happy that night."

"I fake it really well. She bothered me. All she talked about was shopping. She was insipidly boring."

"Yes, I can see how you might find that rather dull. You wanted a girl with whom you could have an intellectual conversation?"

Angel shook his head. "I wanted heat and passion. I wanted to look at her and just know that she was the one. And one look at Buffy told me she was the one."

"It was love at first sight then?"

"As cliched as it sounds, yes."

Geoffrey glanced at his hands. "As I said before, had this Buffy been any other girl, I would wish you well. But you are putting yourself at risk, son."

"You're repeating yourself, Geoffrey. Give me a valid reason as to why I shouldn't be allowed to follow my heart," demanded Angel.

"Want me to spell it out for you? Fine, I will. You'll be an easy target. Vampires and demons will see you as the Slayer's weakness. And they prey on weaknesses. They will do whatever it takes to make the Slayer powerless, and targeting you will do so. Using you as bait will possibly kill you both.

"Another reason is that you will be setting yourself up for a fall. Slayers are not notoriously known for living long lives. Angel, no matter how much you try to protect her, there will be something out there stronger than the both of you. What will you do when she dies? You're still a young man with your whole life ahead of you. Attaching your heart to a girl who will not live past her twenty-third birthday is not healthy. I don't want to see you broken hearted for the rest of your life. You deserve what every normal man deserves: a wife, a job, a home and children to fill it."

"What makes you think I want any of that? If I can't have that with the woman I love, I don't want it."

Geoffrey stood up. "I am only looking out for your best interests, son."

"Son," Angel scoffed. "For years I honestly believed you were my real father. You know, the one who got my mother pregnant. And that you never wanted to acknowledge me as your son because of your position. Then, years later, I realized you weren't my real father; that you only took care of me after Mom died so you'd have a piece of her to hold on to. You were only a few years older than I am right now and you gave up your livelihood to raise a Slayer's child and keep him safe. How can you have done what you did and not understand why I'm doing what I'm doing?"

"It's not the same thing."

"Isn't it? We've both been in love with the Slayer, even though it could cost us our positions with the Watcher's Council. The only difference I can see is that you raised her child after her death."

He sighed. "Angel, you cannot compare your relationship with Buffy to mine with Carolyn. Two different circumstances."

"Like the fact that Buffy loves me back?" Angel shot at Geoffrey.

"I didn't come here to argue with you, son. You needed someone to show you the path you're taking and where it will lead you. I've done that, but if you don't heed my advice, I'm sorry for wasting your time." He moved toward the door. "Good luck with Buffy. I have a feeling you'll need it."

Geoffrey exited the apartment, closing the door behind him. Once outside, he said, "I wish I could tell you the truth,Angel, but it'll hurt you too much."

---

"Did you explain to him the dangers of his relationship with Buffy?" Giles asked when Geoffrey returned to the apartment.

"I did my best to convince him that he is putting himself at risk, but he is too blinded by love to listen to me. Angel didn't want to hear it. I gave him my most logical arguments."

Giles paced a straight line in front of his couch. "Geoffrey, if you had seen what I saw this afternoon, you'd have been terrified. I'm worried that this will get them both killed. I cannot begrudge either of them from finding love; just the opposite. Had they found love with other people, I'd be happy for them. But together, they have no idea what they are getting themselves into."

Geoffrey nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. I am glad that Angel found someone to make him happy. But why did it have to be the Slayer?"

"Did you tell him the real reason it's dangerous?" Giles wanted to know.

"No. And I'm hoping I'll never have to. He would never understand and it will hurt him too much. It is better to keep it between us and the Council. Angel doesn't need to know the truth."

---

With everything going on, Angel couldn't concentrate on anything. He felt claustrophobic inside his apartment and needed to get out for some fresh air. It was balmy, although it was eleven-thirty, but he threw on his duster over his sweater and black pants. It proved to be a good hiding place for his weapons.

He strolled through the streets of Sunnydale, deserted as they were. Very few people were brave enough to walk after ten o'clock. Even he didn't like to do so, but he just couldn't stay in his apartment any longer. Angel needed to get out and think about everything Geoffrey had told him. So many things were jumbled in his head that he needed to sort them all out.

Weighing the pros and cons of a relationship with Buffy was not something he wanted to do. There was no doubt in his mind that he loved her with every fiber of his being. He'd do anything to make her happy. But could he expect a long-term relationship out of it? He didn't know. Being with Buffy, if only for a short time, was better than not being with her at all, Angel decided. No matter what these so-called consequences were, he would stand by his love. He would never leave her.

Angel sat down on the bench in Wetherly Park, remembering how wonderful it felt to hold Buffy in his arms and kiss her sweet lips. He could still smell her favorite scent on him: vanilla. He smiled at the memory of them tangled on the library floor. No inhibitions, just the two of them and the passion they felt for each other. 'Yes,' he thought. 'I'm doing the right thing.'

Lost in his memories, Angel never heard the vampire approaching him from behind. He took a seat on the bench next to Angel, preparing for the kill.

"You look deep in thought," the vampire commented.

"Yeah."

He smirked to himself. 'This ought to be easy.' "Girl troubles?"

"Not really. Well, yeah, sort of," Angel told him.

"Let me guess. She dumped you."

Angel shook his head. "No. Everything's fine between me and Buffy. People around us think we're making a mistake."

'Buffy. Only one person around here is called Buffy. The Slayer.' The vampire came up with a plan. "What do you think? Are they right?"

"No, they aren't. I love her. She loves me. Everyone's wrong."

"You want to be with her forever?" asked the vampire.

"Yes, I do."

"I can easily arrange that."

The vampire leaned over, piercing his fangs into Angel's neck. Shocked at first, Angel didn't know what to do. All conscious thought left his body as the vampire continued to drink. Fight or flight instinct kicked in moments later, and Angel tried to push his attacker off. It didn't work, and more of his blood was being drained with every passing second. Remembering the stake in his pocket, he reached for it.

Out of the corner of his eye, the vampire saw Angel pull the weapon from his pocket. He blocked his victim's attempt at staking him, knocking the sharp wooden object from Angel's grip. Angel could hear his heartbeat slow down, knowing that this might very well be his last moments on earth.

'I love you, Buffy,' he said to himself, wanting his last memory to be of his true love.

The vampire retracted his fangs from Angel's neck, watching for a moment while the dying human took several shallow breaths. Smiling, he bit his wrist, drawing blood. He thrust his wrist to Angel's parted lips, forcing the man to swallow the red liquid that poured into his mouth. "Say nighty night, boy. Soon, we'll have the Slayer," the vampire vowed, carrying Angel's body into the woods.

---

Buffy had been searching for Angel for days. She had no idea where he went. Perhaps some kind of emergency had come up; the last time she'd seen him was Monday night at his apartment. Geoffrey Kensington had shown up, so Buffy assumed something had happened. That was Monday -- three days ago.

By the time Thursday rolled around, she still hadn't heard from Angel. She was worried about him; his safety. Giles didn't even know of Angel's whereabouts. He was surprised to hear that Angel disappeared without a trace. It certainly wasn't like him to be so irresponsible by not calling. Giles hoped the young man took his advice and ended his relationship with Buffy. But he never expected Angel to just leave town without telling anyone.

Patrolling had been uneventful for Buffy Thursday night. By nine she had only come across one vampire, and she considered calling it a night. One quick sweep through the cemetery then she would go home and wait by the phone in case Angel called.

Rustling in the bushes to her left caused Buffy to stand perfectly still in her fighting stance. Waiting a minute and hearing nothing more, she assumed it had been a bird or a rabbit. Sighing, she continued walking. But a minute later she heard the rustling again. This time it was coming from behind her. Buffy whipped around, raising her stake in her right hand. She stopped short when she saw who stood there.

"Angel!" she said, throwing herself into his arms. Buffy held onto him around his waist.

"Hey. Did I frighten you?" he asked.

Buffy looked in his eyes. Something was different, but she couldn't quite place it. "I've been so worried about you."

He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Something unexpected came up. It couldn't be avoided. I'm back, Buffy. For good."

Buffy relished in the comfort of his embrace. "You have no idea what was going through my mind. I thought something happened to you. I was afraid I'd never see you again."

"I'm right here. Nothing happened."

"I missed you, Angel. Do you think we can go somewhere private? It's dead out here tonight and I wanna be alone with you," Buffy said to him.

Angel smiled slyly. "I think it can be arranged. We can go back to my place."

They walked the half-mile to his apartment in silence. She held onto his arm with both hands, hugging it to her body. Buffy was so happy to see him, hold him and just be with him. She didn't let go of his arm until they stepped inside his apartment.

"It's been so long since I kissed you or touched you. It feels like a lifetime," Buffy admitted.

"I know exactly what you mean. Do you think we should continue where we left off when Geoffrey interrupted?" Angel asked.

Buffy nodded. "Oh yeah. Definitely." She took his hand and they both sat on the couch.

They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, neither one of them wanting to make the first move. His demon raging with want of her lips on his, Angel practically jumped on top of her. Buffy didn't resist him, instead, she invited it. She let him kiss her face to the point where he was attacking her with his mouth. Chalking it up to being away from each other for three days, Buffy welcomed his animalistic kisses.

Her hands were beginning to lift his shirt over his chest when Angel stopped her. "Not yet. Let's just do this first."

"Okay," she agreed.

His mouth moved from her face to her ears, then to her neck. Angel could feel her pulse, strong and rhythmic. His thirst for her became overwhelming. He needed blood, and Slayer blood, he knew, was the sweetest.

First licking her jugular vein, eliciting a moan from her, Angel fell into game face and bit into her.

The prick of his fangs caused Buffy to cry out. "What's going on? Why did you do that, Angel?" He looked up at her, letting her see his yellow vampire eyes. She screamed.

"What's the matter? You don't like my little surprise?" he asked with a chuckle.

"You...you're a vampire."

"Wow. You catch on quickly."

Buffy panted. She knew she was in deep trouble. "What do you want?"

He shrugged. "You, my love."

"Me?"

"We can be together forever. You and me, Buffy, we'll rule with our superior strength. And no one will be able to tell us that we don't belong together. Just say yes, Buffy. Just say yes."

Buffy shook her head adamantly. "No. I don't want to be a vampire."

"But it's so much fun. Not that I've had much time to find a down side to it yet. When I saw you a little while ago, I knew right then and there that I wanted to turn you; make you mine for all eternity. Come on, imagine the possibilities," Angel coaxed.

"No," she repeated.

Angel growled. "'No' isn't an option."

He bit her again, harder this time, her blood flowing into his mouth.

Taking only enough to sate his thirst, he cut himself and forced his blood down Buffy's throat. Angel laughed viciously at his conquest. On his first time out, he'd managed to kill the Slayer and bring his love across.

---

Angel bolted upright in bed, his body dripping with sweat. He breathed heavily, remembering every detail of his dream. 'Only a dream,' he told himself. 'It was a bad dream. A nightmare.' Closing his eyes again, he tried to dispel the images of what he'd done to Buffy. Turning her against her will, even the mere thought of it, much less the memory of it in his dream, made Angel sick to his stomach.

'I won't let anything happen to her. I will keep Buffy safe,' he vowed before falling asleep again.

---

He didn't get more than three hours of sleep that night, and Angel woke up angry. Angry at himself for letting his dream upset him so much, angry at Geoffrey for trying to convince him that he was making a mistake with Buffy, and angry at Giles for calling Geoffrey. Why couldn't the two Watchers mind their own business?

Angel took a shower, using the time under the excruciatingly hot water to think about his dream. What did it mean? That he wouldn't be able to protect Buffy from the evil that lurks throughout Sunnydale after dark? Or that his love for her made him easy prey for her enemies? That he might do what happened in the dream: become a vampire and kill her? Angel pounded his fist against the shower tile. "No!" he shouted. "It won't happen."

He got out of the shower, dried off and dressed himself in a black button-down shirt and jeans. Combing his hair in his trademark spikes and then grabbing his bag with books for his History lesson, Angel took off for Sunnydale High. Breaking several traffic laws on his five minute drive across town, Angel was determined to make it in time to have a few choice words with Giles. He and Buffy had a tutoring session at ten-thirty, so Angel wanted to be at the school by quarter after, giving himself fifteen minutes to confront the older Watcher.

Angel stormed through the empty hallway when he entered the building. Classes were in session, so only a few stragglers remained in the halls. He burst into the library and into Giles' office.

"How dare you?" accused Angel in a heated tone.

Giles put down his pen and glanced up at the angry young man standing before him. "Pardon me?"

"What gives you the right to call Geoffrey Kensington and invade my personal life?"

"When it involves the Slayer, I feel I have every right. Now take a deep breath, Angel, and calm down," said Giles.

"I will not calm down. I want an answer. A straight answer, not the runaround like I've been getting. Tell me why I shouldn't be with Buffy," Angel demanded harshly.

"Because you'll lose your job and I don't want to see that happen. I've known you since you were a child and I know how much you want -- have always wanted -- to be a Watcher. I would hate to see you lose that opportunity.

"And I care about both you and Buffy. You two are like the children I never had. If both of you were simply normal, average people, I would be thrilled and would give you my blessing. However, you're not. It's a dangerous situation for you to be in. There are things that you don't know; that you couldn't possibly understand. I don't want to see either of you get hurt."

"What is it that I wouldn't be able to understand? What thing?" Angel wanted to know, his voice nearing a shout.

"I cannot say. It isn't my place. But I will tell you that it is more horrible than you can imagine."

Angel sighed. When Giles started getting cryptic, he knew something was really wrong. "Fine, don't tell me. I would think you trust me enough to tell me, but obviously I'm wrong. Do me a favor, Giles. Stay out of my love life!"

"I'm doing this for your own good, Angel. I don't want to see you throw away everything you've worked for. The Watcher's Council does not take it lightly when a Watcher takes a personal interest in the Slayer."

"Then how do you get away with it? How did Geoffrey get away with it?" Angel asked.

Giles knit his eyebrows together in confusion. "I beg your pardon?"

"Geoffrey was in love with my mother. I've known it for years by the way he spoke of her. Did the Council ever find out about it?"

"I honestly don't know. Not to my knowledge did the Council find out."

"Then how could they find out about me being in love with Buffy?"

"Because the Council is watching you closely. Very closely."

Angel lost his temper. "How is this even fair to me? It's taken me twenty-seven years to find the woman of my dreams and I can't be with her? It's not right!"

"I'm sorry, Angel. I only wish that you could be with her, but unfortunately, you can't be with Buffy."

He shook his head. "I will be with her. You can send Geoffrey to try and talk me out of it, you can tell the Council and make me lose my job. Go right ahead, I don't care. Nothing is going to stop me from loving Buffy!"

---

Angel was already sitting at the table when Buffy came into the library. He heard her shoes clicking on the floor as she made her way over. One look at her and he smiled in spite of himself.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Hi," she said cautiously.

"Look, I want to apologize for last night's interruption," Angel began. "Giles decided to call Geoffrey to talk some sense into me. He gave me this lecture about how dangerous it is for both of us, etc."

Buffy cast her eyes to the ground. What she had to say wasn't going to be easy. "Angel, I spent last night thinking. Maybe it was a good thing Geoffrey interrupted us."

"What do you mean?"

She bit her lip. "Last night really made me think. If Geoffrey hadn't shown up when he did, what would have happened, Angel?"

"I don't know."

"I do. We might have lost control. Would we have done something we'd both regret? It's all so new to me. Feeling this way, being with you...I just don't think I can do it all."

Angel stared at her, his heart breaking into a million pieces. "I see. You don't want to do this anymore. Us."

Buffy sat down in the chair next to him. "No, not at all. I still love you, I still want to be with you. But things are moving too fast for me. If this is going to work, we have to go slower."

"Slower. Okay," Angel agreed.

"I'm sorry."

"Buffy, it's fine. Slower is a good thing. I have no problem with that if it's what you want."

She looked at him closely. "Something else is bothering you, isn't it? I can tell."

"I had a rough night last night."

"Was it because of what Geoffrey said? Don't listen to him. You and I belong together, Angel. Even if we are moving slowly, I'm not leaving. I'm here for good."

Her words nearly echoed his words in the dream. It made him shudder. "I know that. It was this dream I had last night. More like a nightmare, really."

"How bad was it? Did it scare you?"

"Yeah. More than any other dream I've ever had. Even as a child, with all the demons I've seen and heard about, nothing scared me like that."

Buffy grasped a hold of his hand. "Tell me about it. What scared you so much?"

"I can't. It's too horrible. So real, it seemed so real."

"Angel, you can tell me anything."

He shut his eyes tightly, then opened them again. "I couldn't think in my apartment, so I went for a walk. When I sat down on a bench, this guy sat next to me. He and I started talking and before I knew it, he was biting me. The man was a vampire and I never knew it. He -- he bit me and made me feed off of him and he turned me into a vampire."

"Oh my god," commented Buffy. "But it was only a dream."

"No, there's more to it than that. After I was turned, you found me. It was a couple days later and you'd been worried about me. We were in the cemetery when you found me. We went back to my place and we kind of continued where we left off last night. And I bit you. I bit you...and drained you...and turned you. Then I woke up."

"It wasn't real. You have to remember that."

He nodded his head. "Yeah, I know. It seemed so real, Buffy. I couldn't protect you and I became the thing you hate the most. And I turned you. I hurt you so much and I never want to do that. That's what I'm afraid of. Hurting you."

"You won't. You couldn't."

"Love hurts, Buffy."

"Not our love. We'll never hurt each other." She kissed his trembling hand, still being held by her. "What happened in your dream will never happen in reality. Trust me on this. And whenever you start thinking that it might come true, keep saying to yourself that I love you and it was only a bad dream."

He smiled, having been reassured by her words. "Maybe we should get to work on studying. Your History final is in two weeks."

"Studying. Got it. Let's get to work." 'Yeah. Slower is definitely better,' she thought.

---

Thanks to all of her tutoring sessions with Angel, Buffy's History exam was a snap. She passed with flying colors, getting a ninety on it and eased her average up to an eighty. She ran into the library after school to tell him the good news.

"I did it!" Buffy exclaimed, throwing herself into his arms, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips.

Angel held her close to him, not wanting to let her go. "Did what, Buffy?"

"Aced my History final."

He grinned. "Congratulations. I knew you could do it."

"I couldn't have done it without you. If you hadn't made me study all this weekend, and for the past two months almost, I would have failed for sure. Thank you." She gave him another kiss.

"I'd love to take credit for it, but you're the one who took the exam," reminded Angel.

"You're too modest. Most of this is your doing, so shut up and take some credit for it."

Giles exited his office, seeing Buffy and Angel in an embrace near the book counter. He sighed, thinking that perhaps they'd reverted back to the lust-driven teenagers they were only two weeks earlier. It didn't go unnoticed by the Watcher that things between Buffy and Angel cooled down considerably. No longer were they making public displays of affection on the library floor. He began to feel comfortable letting them train together. But seeing them holding each other so intimately, Giles became worried once again.

He cleared his throat. "Am I interrupting you?"

Buffy pulled herself out of Angel's embrace. "Giles, I just got my grade for my History exam."

"You did well, I presume." 'At least I'll know she did some studying with Angel.'

"I got a ninety! All that tutoring paid off big time."

"That's wonderful news, Buffy. So you won't have to worry about not graduating, correct? I remember you telling me that you feared disappointing your parents by failing to graduate on time."

A huge grin plastered itself on Buffy's face. "I'm graduating. No summer school for Slay Gal. Next week, I'll be walking across the auditorium stage with my diploma in hand. You'll be there, won't you, Giles?" she wanted to know.

"Of course. All Sunnydale High staff is required to be there," her Watcher informed her.

"Cool. And as for you," she said, directing her attention to Angel, "you *so* have to be there. I only graduate once and I want you there to see me. Not to mention, you'll get to meet my father."

Angel groaned inwardly. Buffy had told him some stories about her father that made him a bit leery of the man. Most of all, Angel feared Mr. Summers' reaction to the nine year age difference between him and Buffy. 'He'll think I'm taking advantage of her. I just know it.' "I wouldn't miss it for the world, Buffy."

Buffy was delighted. Everybody important in her life would be there on her graduation day. "And don't forget the party afterward at my house. I'm going to visit Mom at the gallery to give her the good news. Bye!" In a flash, Buffy left the room.

Giles turned to Angel. "I guess I should congratulate you as well, Angel. You did a good job with Buffy. She's really turned around since you began helping her. In a good way."

Angel was touched by the compliment. "Thank you, Giles. It means a lot coming from you. But I wish you could accept us as a couple."

"I have learned to accept it. While I still believe it is a dangerous state of affairs, I realize nothing I can say or do will change your minds."

"Thank you for understanding." Angel walked toward the door.

"Where are you going?" asked a curious Giles.

"To see about Buffy's graduation presents."

---

"Is this what you were looking for, sir?" the sales clerk asked, holding the box open in front of Angel.

"Yes, it is." Angel explained to the man what he wanted done. "Can you guarantee it by this coming Monday?"

He nodded. "Most definitely. As per your instructions, I can imagine that it will be exquisite."

"I hope so."

"A present for your wife?"

Angel shook his head. "My girlfriend, actually. It's a graduation gift. I want it to be a surprise."

The man smiled broadly. He saw the look of love in Angel's eyes. "This will be a most pleasant surprise for your young lady. Any woman would be very lucky to receive such a present. It is quite a show of love."

"I love her very much, so it works out perfectly."

"I shall call you when it is ready, Mr. Reilly."

He watched as Angel walked out of the store. 'Whoever she is, she's quite lucky, to be loved that much. Ah, young love,' the man thought.

---

Graduation day was upon them before anyone knew it. Buffy woke up to a cloudless sky that Tuesday morning, eagerly anticipating the day's events. She would finally graduate from high school.

Willow came over at two, and Cordelia arrived at two-thirty so they all could get dressed and do each other's hair and make-up. Buffy wore a white sundress, white heels and left her hair straight, flowing past her shoulders. Willow wore a green dress, leaving her hair down as well. Cordelia chose a short black dress and curled her long brown hair into soft ringlets. Wearing their caps and gowns, the three girls stood in front of Buffy's mirror.

"I'm so excited. We're graduating," Willow said.

"Me too," agreed Buffy. "I am glad to have made it this far. I never thought I'd live to graduate from high school."

Cordelia put her arm around Buffy's shoulder. "Well, you are. Just think, this is the beginning of the rest of our lives. From here on in, we're adults. Living in the real world."

"Going to college," added Willow.

"Finding jobs," chimed in Buffy.

"Getting married to rich, handsome men," Cordelia said with a grin. "Well, unless you're Buffy."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded jokingly.

"Only that you've got the market cornered with your handsome hunk of man boyfriend. And if his apartment is as nice as you say it is, Angel's probably got money, too." She laughed. "You're luckier than most of us."

"I feel really lucky." Buffy glanced at the clock on her nightstand. "God, it's four already. My Dad is going to be here any minute."

"We should get going," Willow said. "Right, Cordy?"

The brunette nodded. "Right. I have to stop at Xander's house for pictures. See you at school, Buffy."

The two girls left. Less than five minutes later, Hank Summers pulled up. Buffy waited on the front porch to greet him. She hadn't seen her father in almost six months.

"Hey, Princess!" he said, giving Buffy a kiss and a hug.

"Hi, Dad. I'm so happy you could come. I know how busy you are with work."

He smiled at his daughter. "Miss my little girl's high school graduation? Not on your life! It's a big occasion."

"Come on inside. Mom wants to see you."

Buffy led him inside the house. "How have you been? It feels like forever since I saw you. Did you have a good time at Prom with Kevin? I remember you telling me how much you were looking forward to it," Mr. Summers asked.

"I didn't go to the Prom with Kevin. We broke up over a month ago, Dad," she informed him.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I liked Kevin. May I ask what happened?"

Buffy shrugged. She couldn't tell her father all the details of her break-up with Kevin. It had been hard enough telling her mother. "We wanted different things. He and I weren't meant to be together."

"Oh."

"But I have a new boyfriend. You can meet him after graduation."

"Really? How long have you been seeing him?" Mr. Summers wanted to know.

"Close to a month now. We went to Prom together as friends and we started dating afterwards."

He smiled. "I can't wait to meet him."

Buffy knew that tone of voice. Angel was in for the third degree from her father. 'Uh-oh. Better warn Angel.'

---

"I didn't like the way he said it," Buffy told Willow, Cordelia and Xander before the graduation ceremony. "He went into over-protective dad mode. Now I'm worried about what he's going to say."

"It'll be fine, Buffy," reassured Willow. "I felt the same way when my parents met Oz. I thought my Dad was going to demand a written biography of Oz's life. Turns out I was only overreacting, because they were totally cool."

Buffy shook her head. "There's a big difference between our boyfriends, Willow. Oz is nineteen, Angel's twenty-seven. I know my dad is going to bring up the age difference."

"So?" Cordelia asked. "What's the big deal? It's only a couple years. It's not like it's a problem for you guys."

"Angel and I don't care how much of an age difference there is, but Dad will. Nine years. He was born in 'seventy-one, me in 'eighty-one. My father's going to flip."

Xander snickered. "It never occurred to me until now, but Angel's really robbing the cradle with you."

Buffy silenced her friend with a glare. "Shut up, Xander."

"Buffy, maybe your Dad will surprise you and not bring it up," Willow said.

"Maybe. But I won't hold my breath. One look at Angel and Dad's going to know he's way older than me."

"Think of it this way," Xander started. "At least he's not as old as Principal Snyder."

The three girls groaned. "Like, eww. That was a mental image I *so* didn't need," commented Cordelia.

---

The auditorium of Sunnydale High was already packed with relatives of the graduates by the time Angel arrived. All the front rows were filled, not an empty seat to be seen except in the back half of the room. He looked around for Mrs. Summers, needing to ask her a question and having promised to sit with her during the ceremony, but found her sitting with an older man he assumed to be Hank Summers. There was not an empty seat around them, so Angel sat himself in the closest aisle seat he could find.

Graduation began precisely at six o'clock. The chords of "Pomp and Circumstance" filled the auditorium as the one hundred graduates walked down the aisle. Angel grinned as Buffy walked by him, mouthing an "I love you" to her boyfriend. When they were all seated, Principal Snyder took the podium.

"Congratulations to the Class of 1999. You've all proved more or less adequate. This is a time for celebration, so sit still and be quiet," he addressed them.

Angel raised his eyebrows in wonder. Giles had told him that the man was very straight-forward, but Angel never expected this. 'Now I can see why Buffy calls him a troll.'

He listened with interest as Mayor Richard Wilkins III gave his keynote speech and as the valedictorian gave her take on the past four years and on the future that lay ahead. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the graduates lined up to receive their diplomas. Student after student walked across the stage, holding up their diplomas as a sign of victory. Angel laughed out loud when Xander danced his way across the stage.

"Buffy Anne Summers," Principal Snyder called with a hint of disdain in his voice.

Buffy shook his hand, using her strength to make the short man wince in pain. She took the diploma out of his other hand and glided across the stage, searching the audience for Angel. Upon finding him, she winked and pointed to her diploma with a delighted grin. 'I made it,' she thought. 'I survived high school.'

---

Mr. and Mrs. Summers made their way through the crowd of people outside the school after the ceremony ended. They were in search of Buffy, and Mrs. Summers wanted to see Angel. He had called earlier that morning, informing her that he needed to ask her a question.

Mr. Summers tapped his ex-wife on the shoulder. "Why don't you go on ahead and find Buffy. I'll be there in a minute. I see someone I want to say hello to."

She nodded, having caught sight of Angel talking to Giles. "Fine. I'll tell Buffy you'll be right over."

He headed to his left, reaching his intended. "Hello, Kevin."

Kevin Matthews looked at the father of his ex-girlfriend. "Mr. Summers. It's nice to see you again."

"Same here. How have you been doing?" Mr. Summers wanted to know.

"Very well, thank you. And yourself?"

"Good. I was sorry to hear that you and Buffy broke up."

Kevin shrugged. "She didn't want the same thing I did. Buffy wasn't mature enough to handle the kind of relationship I wanted."

"Really? That's interesting," he commented, hoping Kevin would divulge more information. Buffy hadn't given him the specifics on the breakup.

"You're a man, Mr. Summers. How would you feel if you dated a girl for over a year and she refused to have sex with you? You'd break up with her too."

Mr. Summers balled his fists at his sides. "So what you're saying is that you broke up with my daughter because she wouldn't have sex with you?" Kevin nodded, not realizing his mistake. "Good for Buffy."

"Huh?"

Mr. Summers glared at the boy. "You bastard. Kevin, I used to think you loved my daughter, but I'm guessing you were only using her. I'm glad Buffy had the common sense to say no to you. And you should consider yourself lucky I'm not pounding you into the ground for using my little girl like that."

"Mr. Summers, it wasn't as bad as you're making it sound," he tried to explain.

"If I catch you within five feet of Buffy, or hear that you caused her even an ounce of pain, I will put you in the hospital." Without another word, Mr. Summers walked away.

---

"Do you think she'll like it?" Angel asked.

Mrs. Summers smiled. "Buffy is going to love it. I know she will."

"You don't think it's too much too soon? Because Buffy wants to take things slow. I don't want to scare her with this present."

"Not at all. She'll be thrilled, if I know my daughter. And I want you to know that I trust you, Angel."

"That means a lot."

"I can see how much you love Buffy, and I can tell that you respect her enough not to push."

"I'd wait forever for her." Angel glanced at the love of his life, standing fifteen feet away talking to Willow and Cordelia. "She's everything to me, and I'm not going to ruin it by forcing her into something she's not ready for."

"Well, I better go congratulate Buffy. Will you be coming to the party?" Mrs. Summers wanted to know.

Angel nodded. "I just have to stop at home and pick up Buffy's presents."

---

He was the first one to arrive at the Summers' house, showing up at quarter to eight. The presents he bought for Buffy sat in the inside pocket of his jacket, waiting for the perfect moment to be given. Angel rang the back doorbell.

Buffy ran to the door, seeing him through the window. When she opened the door, she wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his head down so she could kiss him softly. "Hi, you. You're the first to get here."

"Lucky me. Congratulations."

She smiled at him, flashing her white teeth. "You already said that today, silly."

"I wanted to say it again."

Shaking her head, Buffy laughed. "You're crazy. Come on in, Mom and Dad are in the dining room."

A lump immediately formed in Angel's throat at the prospect of meeting Buffy's father. He followed her into the dining room. He saw Mrs. Summers sitting at one end of the table and a large, dark blonde haired man sitting at the opposite end. His heart rate rapidly increased.

"Dad, I'd like you to meet Angel Reilly. Angel, this is my dad, Hank Summers," introduced Buffy. She silently prayed that her father behaved like a civilized human being.

He extended his hand to the young man standing next to his daughter. "It's nice to meet you, Angel. Buffy has told me a lot about you."

Angel shook the hand offered by Hank Summers, noticing that the man clutched it tightly. "Nice to meet you, too, sir." He smiled at Mrs. Summers. "Hello, Joyce."

"Nice to see you, Angel. Please, have a seat," she offered.

He did, Buffy taking the seat across from him.

"Where are you from, Angel?" Mr. Summers asked.

"I was born in San Francisco, but moved to Los Angeles when I was six."

Mr. Summers nodded. "Are you still in school or do you have a job?"

"I'm a tutor right now, which is how I met Buffy. But I graduated from UCLA three years ago with a Master's in History."

"Really?" He looked searchingly at Angel. "Exactly how old are you, Angel?"

The dreaded question. 'Don't show your fear,' Angel told himself. "I'm twenty-seven."

"That makes you nine years older than Buffy. Don't you feel that that's a big age difference?"

Angel shook his head. "No, honestly, I don't. Age isn't important to me. What matters to me is who Buffy is, not how old she is."

"Still, it concerns me. That's almost a decade."

Buffy groaned. "Dad..." she warned.

"Mr. Summers, I want to let you know that I'm not setting Buffy up for a fall. I want to be with her for as long as she'll have me. No matter what happens, I'll be by her side. I love her."

Mr. Summers softened. He could feel that Angel's words were genuine, and could see how happy Buffy was with him. "You make Buffy happy; she's told me that. After what Kevin Matthews pulled, you had better keep her that way."

"That's exactly what I plan to do."

Mrs. Summers stood up. "Now that that's finished, why don't we go sit outside and wait for the guests."

"Fine with me," agreed Mr. Summers.

Angel shot Mrs. Summers a conspiratory glance. "Buffy, why don't you and Angel go up to your room until the guests arrive. I'm sure you two want to be alone for a little while."

"Alright."

They went upstairs to Buffy's bedroom, sitting next to each other on the bed. "Are you and my mom up to something?"

"Sort of. I wanted to be alone with you when I gave you your graduation present," Angel told her. "I got you two, actually. One for now and one for later."

"You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to." Angel pulled out a flat, black velvet box from his pocket, handing it to her. "Open it."

Buffy took it in her hands. She slowly opened the box, gasping when she saw the contents. Sitting in the box was an emerald necklace adorned with diamonds. The emerald had been carved into the shape of a heart, crowned by a diamond larger than the others. She touched it, fearing it might disappear if she didn't.

"Angel," she whispered. "This is so beautiful. It looks expensive. You shouldn't have."

"I wanted to get you something special. When I found out that you'd be graduating on time, I went to the jeweler's to have it specially made for you. The necklace has twenty-seven diamonds on it; one for each year I waited for you. And the emerald is the May birthstone, standing for the month I finally found you," Angel explained.

She let the tears fall out of her eyes. "Nobody's ever given me something so beautiful. I love it; I'll cherish it forever."

Angel removed it from the box, reaching over to place it around Buffy's neck. When he clasped it, making certain it was secure, he kissed the nape of her neck.

"Buffy! Some of your friends are here!" Mrs. Summers called.

"Guess that's our cue," he said.

Before leaving the room, Buffy stopped to look in the mirror. She couldn't believe Angel had given her such a perfect, thoughtful, loving gift. "When do I get my other present?"

"Not until later, love."

---

"Oh my god," exclaimed Cordelia. "Where did you get that necklace?"

Buffy placed her hand over it, still unable to believe it was there; that it existed at all. Smiling, she said, "Angel gave it to me as a graduation present. Do you like it?"

"Like it?" she asked. "I love it." She took a closer look at it. "It's real, too. With that emerald and all those diamonds...geez, how many are there?"

"Twenty seven."

"You're kidding. Twenty seven diamonds -- real diamonds at that -- and one emerald, this necklace must have cost him a fortune."

Buffy shrugged. "He didn't say. Just said he had it specially made for me. And I didn't want to ask him, I would have sounded ungrateful."

"Well, if I had to take a guess, I'd say it cost close to two grand," guessed Cordelia.

Buffy almost choked on her potato chip. "Two thousand dollars? Are you serious?"

"Well, it's a ballpark figure, so I'm only guessing. But it wasn't cheap, Buffy. Man, how did you ever get so lucky? I was lucky to get a bracelet from Xander for my birthday, much less a two thousand dollar necklace as a graduation present. I'm willing to bet Angel's loaded and you're going to be getting some nice presents from now on."

"He said he got me two gifts."

Cordelia's eyes widened. "Angel got you something else? Christ, gorgeous, rich and generous. Does he have a brother? Better yet, can I just have him?"

Buffy laughed. "Hands off my boyfriend."

"I was only kidding. I wouldn't dream of taking him. For as much of a loser as Xander is, I would not trade him for the world."

Willow ran over to them, flushed and out of breath. "Hi, guys. Sorry I'm late. Oz and I got a little tied up."

"That's okay. You didn't really miss anything," Buffy told her.

"Are you crazy? Angel gives you the mother of all graduation gifts and you say that she didn't miss anything?" demanded Cordelia.

"What?" Willow asked. "What did Angel get you, Buffy?"

She pointed to her necklace. "This."

"Wow. It's beautiful."

"And expensive," added Cordelia. "And he got her something else too."

"There's more?"

"Uh-huh." The brunette caught sight of Xander waving to her from the other side of the yard. "Xander wants me. See you two in a bit." Under her breath, she mumbled, "Lucky bitch."

Buffy turned to Willow. "So, how come you're late?"

"I told you, Oz and I got tied up."

"Willow..."

Willow sighed. "Okay. You're my best friend, Buffy, so I should at least tell you. Can you keep a secret?"

"You know I can, Willow. Spill it already."

"Alright. After graduation, Oz and I went back to his place and...we...well, we..." She struggled to find the right words.

"What is it? Did something--" Then Buffy realized what her best friend was saying. "Willow, you and Oz...?"

Willow nodded. "Yep."

Buffy grabbed her hand, dragging her into the privacy of her own bedroom, closing the door behind them to insure nobody would overhear. "You slept with Oz?"

"Yeah. It wasn't like we planned it or something. I didn't wake up this morning and say 'I'm going to have sex with Oz after graduation today.' It just sort of happened."

"Come on, I want details. Not *all* the details, but some details. How did it happen?"

"Like I said, we went back to his place and his parents weren't home. He said he wanted to give me my present. It was a song, a slow, beautiful song he wrote for me. So I kissed him and it just went on from there."

"How did you know, though? That you were ready?" Buffy wanted to know.

Willow bit her lip. "Do you know that voice in the back of your head that tells you to stop?"

Buffy nodded. "I'm on close, intimate terms with that voice."

"Well, when I started kissing Oz, it wasn't telling me to stop. Instead, I heard a voice that said, 'You love him. Show him how much; show him what he means to you.' That's when I knew I was ready."

She stared in awe of Willow. "Wow. What was it like?"

"It wasn't the way romance novels make it out to be. At first, it hurt. A lot. Like someone was ripping me apart from the inside. But it started hurting less and less, and then it started to feel good. I won't lie, Buffy, I cried, it hurt so much. It was worth it in the end to feel that close to Oz."

Amazed, Buffy shook her head. "I wonder if I'll ever get to experience something like that," she pondered.

"You mean you've never even thought about it?"

"Sure I have. I just don't know if it's ever going to happen."

"It will, Buffy."

"I don't know." Buffy grimaced. "Maybe I'm a prude for wanting to wait."

"You have to wait until it feels right," Willow said.

Buffy exhaled. "I could be dead and gone by the time I'm ready to sleep with someone. Right now, I'm living vicariously through my fantasies."

Willow grinned. "Would a certain tall, handsome Watcher-in-training play a starring role in those fantasies?" she teased.

"Perhaps. We better get back to the party before they start wondering what happened to us."

As they were walking down the stairs, Willow asked, "Didn't Cordelia say Angel got you something else?"

"Yeah. But I don't get it until later. The suspense is killing me."

---

The party ended at two in the morning, leaving the backyard filled with cans of soda, paper plates and napkins. The four remaining people -- Buffy, Angel and Mrs. and Mr. Summers -- spent an hour cleaning it all up.

"Let me help with the dishes, Mom," offered Buffy.

Mrs. Summers waved her away. "Your father and I can handle it. Don't worry. You two can go into the other room."

"Okay." Buffy knew Angel would be giving her the other present, and she couldn't wait. She was definitely excited.

"Looks like your party was a success," Angel said to her once they sat down in the living room.

"Seems so. I got a lot of compliments on the necklace you gave me." She giggled. "Cordy wanted to know if she could borrow you. I said no way."

He smirked. "I take it that means you're not ready to get rid of me yet?"

"Not by a longshot. You're stuck with me for a long time."

"Good. I can't think of anyone I'd rather be stuck with." He planted a kiss on her cheek. "Which reminds me, I believe I owe you another present."

"Angel, you really didn't have to. The necklace was more than enough," Buffy said.

He shook his head in disagreement. "I've already gotten the okay from your mother and Giles. Now all I need is your approval."

"My approval?" she asked. "For what?"

Angel took the two pieces of paper out of his pocket. "Remember when I told you how I wanted to visit my mother's grave and you said you'd go with me when I go?"

"Yes."

"How does this weekend sound?"

"What? What are you talking about, Angel?"

"I have in my hands two first class tickets leaving Friday evening for San Francisco."

Buffy's mouth fell open. "You want me to go away with you this weekend?"

"Only if you want to go, Buffy. I've arranged for the entire weekend. We'll leave Friday at seven and come back Monday at noon. I booked a room at the Sheraton with two double beds. But if you are at all uncomfortable with that, I'll book you a private room. Your mother already said yes, and Giles has agreed to take care of patrol. What do you say, Buffy?"

"It's too much. You shouldn't have done all of this."

"I told you already. I wanted to. Will you go to San Francisco with me this weekend?"

Buffy nodded. "Of course I will."

---

When Angel left half an hour later, Buffy ran into her bedroom to call Willow. She had promised to call when she received Angel's final gift.

"Will, it's me. Is it too late to be calling?" Buffy asked over the phone.

"No, I'm still up. Well, what happened?"

"Angel left a couple minutes ago. You wouldn't believe what else he got me."

"What?" Willow wanted to know.

"He's taking me to San Francisco this weekend."

"That is so awesome. So that means you'll be sharing a hotel room with him, right?"

"Uh-huh. I love the present; a weekend away from Sunnydale is so thoughtful of him. But I can't help wondering..."

Willow had an idea of where Buffy was headed. "You think he might expect something of you beyond kissing?"

"Yeah. We've been taking things slow since the incident with Giles and Geoffrey Kensington. And it's been working out great; getting to know each other without worrying about what the other might think. I love him, no doubt about it. But what if this trip is his way of saying he wants to speed things up?"

"Do you think it is?"

"I don't know. I trust Angel, and most of me says no, he wouldn't do that. And a smaller part of me says he's only taking me to San Francisco so we can sleep together," Buffy told her.

"Do you want to sleep with him?"

"A little bit personal, don'tcha think, Will?"

"Buffy, with everything I told you about me and Oz, I would think you could confide in me. Do you?"

Buffy thought she'd need time to think about her answer, but she didn't. "Yes. I want to make love to him. But I don't know if I'm ready for that this weekend."

"The only thing I can tell you is to wait and see. When you're ready, you'll know it. And if Angel expects it this weekend and you don't want to, maybe he isn't the man you think he is."

"You're right, Willow. I won't know until we get there. I'm just going to have to wait and see."

---

Cordelia and Willow dragged Buffy into the store. They were at the mall helping her shop for clothes for her weekend in San Francisco. Buffy and Angel were leaving later that day, but Cordelia insisted on a last-minute shopping spree.

"I've packed more than enough stuff. I'm only going for two days," Buffy admonished.

"Yes, but you need something special to wear," Cordelia said.

"I don't think I'm going to find it here." Buffy looked around. "No, I know it."

"Buffy," Cordelia started. "You're going away with Angel for an entire weekend. Three nights in a hotel room with a man whose bones you *so* obviously want to jump. And you're going to wear flannel pajamas to bed? No way."

Buffy sighed. "Cordy, I'm not wearing one of these things to sleep. God, they don't even cover anything."

Cordelia laughed at Buffy's naiveté. "I believe that's the whole point. It's not supposed to cover anything."

Willow held up a see-through garment. "Check this one out. It's so short."

"I hardly doubt these could be considered bedtime wear."

"Come on, live a little, Buffy."

She shook her head. "Not in that thing."

Cordelia gave up. "Fine. Look, you guys go off and I'll meet you in the food court in twenty minutes."

"Okay." Willow and Buffy left the lingerie shop, heading for the music store.

"Are you excited about tonight?" Willow wanted to know.

"Yeah, I am. Two whole days away from Sunnydale is just what I need."

Willow smiled. "Actually, I was talking about spending the weekend with Angel."

"Yeah, like I don't know what you're getting at, Will. Yes, I'm excited. But I'm nervous, too."

"About sleeping in the same room with him?"

"Kinda. I mean, I've slept in the same bed with him before, but that was before the whole 'us as a couple' thing."

"So you'll be uncomfortable?"

"I don't know. He did say two beds, so we'll see what happens, and Angel told me if I felt weird he'd book me my own room."

"See, at least he's accommodating. Buffy, do you think that...have you thought about...sleeping with him?"

Buffy shut her eyes. "Yeah."

"Yeah as in 'yes, I've thought about it' or as in 'yes, I'm going to sleep with him'?"

"The first one. I still don't think I'm ready yet. But who knows, maybe things'll change this weekend."

Fifteen minutes later, Cordelia joined them in the food court. "I'm back."

"We missed you," commented Willow.

"Yep, we did." Buffy looked at the package Cordelia was carrying. "What did you get?"

"Something for you, actually."

"Me?" Buffy asked with raised eyebrows. "What is it?"

Cordelia handed her the bag. "Open it and find out."

Buffy opened the box, unwrapping the tissue paper around the contents. She held it up, finding a light blue satin nightgown so thin Buffy could see Willow through the material. "Thanks, Cordy, but I don't think I will be getting any use out of it this weekend."

"Bring it with you."

"It was a nice thought, but I don't think so."

---

Buffy and Angel landed in San Francisco at seven-thirty, and he rented a black convertible for the weekend. The Sheraton was located only a few miles from the airport, so they arrived at the hotel by eight. With their suitcases in hand, Angel led her to the lobby. He put their bags down when they reached the reception desk.

"Hello, Sir. Do you have a reservation?" the man behind the desk asked.

"Yes, I do. Angel Reilly."

The man searched the computer screen. "Ah, yes. Three nights." He eyed Buffy suspiciously, but said nothing. "That'll be nine-fifty. Credit card only."

Buffy's eyes widened with shock. 'Nine hundred and fifty dollars? That's insane.'

Angel placed his Visa card on the counter. He glanced at Buffy, who stood a few feet behind him, and flashed her a smile. She returned it.

The man returned the credit card to Angel. "Everything's all set, Sir. Your room is ready, here is your key. Your young lady and yourself will be staying in room 503. Do you need assistance with your suitcases? I can ring for a bellhop."

"No, thank you. I can carry them myself." Picking up the bags once more, they walked to the elevator.

The doors closed in front of them after they stepped inside. Angel pressed the button labeled 5. "Angel?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, Buffy?"

"How much does this room cost a night?"

"Why?"

"I want to know. I'm curious, I guess."

"A little over three hundred a night."

She coughed. "It's so expensive for a hotel room. Why would you spend so much? And can you even afford it?"

"Buffy, please don't worry about it. Everything's taken care of."

They didn't say anything until Angel opened the door to their hotel room.

Buffy gasped out loud when she saw the room.

"It's huge! This room is bigger than my entire house."

"So you like it?"

"I love it."

She walked around the room, which had its own kitchen, couch, walk-in closets and a private balcony with an unobstructed view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Two double beds sat near the entrance to the balcony, with a TV and VCR, small refrigerator and two dressers.

"I'm glad you like it," Angel said to her.

"This is so great. Thank you."

"Is there anything special you wanted to do tonight?"

The question threw Buffy. 'Oh God. He does expect something this weekend. What am I going to do now?' "Nothing I can think of. What do you want to do?" She really wanted to hear what he had to say.

Angel shrugged. "I was hoping you had an idea. Truthfully, I wouldn't mind just sitting here in the room and relaxing and watching television."

"That's fine with me. Relaxing is good."

"That is why I brought you here. So you could relax."

Buffy took her bag and lifted it off the bed. "I'm going to take a shower, okay?"

"Sure. I'll find something for us to watch."

"Okay."

Buffy walked into the bathroom and undressed herself. She took a towel off the rack, carrying it into the shower with her. Under the hot water, she began to wonder what the weekend held for her, for them. They were going to visit Carolyn Reilly's grave Saturday morning, but Buffy didn't know what Angel had planned for them after that. It finally dawned on her that she was alone with him for over two days. More than forty-eight hours to learn more about each other. 'But how much?' she wondered.

'Stop it, Buffy. You need to stop worrying so much. If anything happens that you don't want to, all you have to do is say no. Angel will understand,' Buffy told herself. 'I think.'

She got out of the shower, thoroughly cleaned and ready for the relaxing night ahead of her. Opening her suitcase, she pulled out a tank top and a pair of flannel pants. "Oh, what the hell," she said, grabbing the nightgown Cordelia bought for her, putting it on. Taking a look in the mirror, Buffy felt self-conscious. She could see right through the material. It was too embarrassing to wear in front of Angel. Searching through her suitcase, Buffy found the robe she'd packed. Quickly, she put it on.

"All done," Buffy said when she returned to the room where Angel sat on the couch.

"I found something we can watch. How do you feel about Sleepless In Seattle? It's on at nine," Angel suggested.

"Works for me."

They walked over to the bed and Angel turned on the television while Buffy sat down.

"Do you mind if I sit next to you?" he asked.

She smiled. "Not at all. It's a big bed. Plenty of room for one more."

Angel sat next to her. He stayed at least half a foot away, wanting to give her some personal space in case she felt uncomfortable. He was pleasantly surprised when she moved over, her arm pressed against his.

Neither one moved in the course of the two hour movie. They sat with their backs against the headboard, holding hands. Buffy tried her best to keep her eyes opened. She leaned her head on his shoulder, her robe falling off her shoulder, revealing the thin strap of her nightgown. Noticing, Angel reached over to fix it.

She had fallen asleep by the time the movie ended. "Buffy?" Angel whispered. "Buffy, wake up. The movie's over."

"Umm," she moaned, opening her eyes. "What's going on?"

"You fell asleep," he told her with a loving smile. "The movie's over. Why don't we go to sleep."

"Okay," she agreed, yawning.

He climbed off the bed and went into the bathroom to change. Buffy removed her robe and hung it in the closet, returning to her bed, covering herself up to her chin. She moved to the far side of the bed, expecting Angel to join her.

When he came out of the bathroom, he turned off the light and laid down in his own bed. Buffy was disappointed, but relieved at the same time. "Good night, Angel."

"Good night, Buffy."

---

Buffy awoke to the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. Turning her head, after rubbing the remnants of sleep from her eyes, she found the bed next to her empty. The clock on the bedstand read eight thirty-four, making her moan. She liked sleeping in on weekends, not waking up before nine.

"Ugh," she said, getting out of bed and putting her robe on over her revealing nightgown.

Buffy pulled her suitcase onto the bed, deciding to unpack while Angel showered. She kept a pair of black jean shorts, a white blouse and a sweatshirt aside for her to wear that day. Just as she finished hanging up the last of her clothes, Angel entered the room. She was more than a little surprised to see him walking around wearing only a towel around his waist. Her heart raced.

"Morning," she said, stepping out of the closet.

He was caught off-guard. "Buffy, I didn't realize you were up. I thought you would still be sleeping."

"So you thought you'd walk around the room in a towel while Buffy was asleep?" she commented with a laugh.

Angel's cheeks turned a bright red. "I forgot my pants and thought I could sneak in here without waking you."

"Well, I'm awake. But I won't look." Buffy moved to face the other way, the image of him wrapped in a towel burned into her memory.

He found a pair of pants and went back into the bathroom. Sighing a breath of relief, Angel dropped the towel and began to get dressed. After shaving and combing his hair, he returned to the room, finding Buffy fully dressed. He frowned slightly. 'What did you expect to find? Buffy waiting on the bed and begging you to touch her? Don't be stupid.'

"All done in the bathroom?"

"Yeah. Sorry I took so long," Angel apologized.

"Well, I'll forgive you this time," she joked. "I won't be long. Just have to fix my bed head. My hair is probably doing wacky things."

"You look fine."

She shook her head. "Trust me, no I don't. I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Would you like me to order some room service?" Angel asked. "They've got eggs, bacon, pancakes, french toast and omelets. What would you like?"

Buffy laughed. "How about all of the above? I'm starving. But seriously, anything is fine. I'll be out in a few minutes."

Angel picked up the phone, calling for room service. He ordered a little bit of everything: scrambled eggs, pancakes, french toast, muffins, bacon, sausage and juice. He'd finished ordering mere seconds before Buffy left the bathroom.

"So, what did you order for me?" she asked.

"You'll have to wait and see."

She crunched up her face in an expression of annoyance. "I hate that."

"What?"

"When people say that to me. I don't like surprises."

"You said you were starving," Angel pointed out.

"True. How long until it gets here?"

Angel shrugged. "They didn't say. But I would assume twenty minutes or so."

"Alright. Do you mind if I give my mother a call? Let her know I'm here and still alive."

"You don't need to ask me."

"I was being polite."

She dialed her home phone number. Mrs. Summers picked up on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mom. It's me."

"Buffy. How's your trip so far?'

"So far so good. You should see our hotel room. You could fit our entire house in here."

Mrs. Summers laughed. "Angel informed me the hotel would be nice."

"It is."

"How is Angel?"

"Good. We chilled out here last night."

"Honey, I don't want to ask you this, but I feel I have to. Are you being careful?"

Buffy glanced at Angel, who sat on the couch reading a magazine. "Mom!"

"Sorry, but I want to make sure."

"You don't have to worry, my virtue is still intact. Angel hasn't even attempted to kiss me since we got here," she whispered.

"Well, that's a load off my mind. Not that I don't trust you two, but..."

"I know what you mean. He's not like other guys, he didn't bring me here to have sex, Mom."

"Yeah, I know. I told him I trusted him and I do. But I know how things can get out of control, Buffy."

"I'm a big girl, Mom. If he tries anything I can kick his ass." There was a knock on the door, and Angel returned a minute later with a cart of food. "I gotta go, room service is here. I'll see you Monday. Bye, Mom."

Before hanging up, Mrs. Summers replied. "Bye, honey. Be careful this weekend."

Buffy met Angel at the table in the kitchen area. "God, how much food did you order?" she asked, looking wide-eyed at all the food.

"A little of everything."

"You weren't kidding. There's enough food here for an army."

"Or for a hungry Slayer."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dig in."

---

"You must have a great sense of direction if you can remember how to get here after three years," commented Buffy.

They drove slowly down the narrow path through the cemetery. Grave after grave, they all looked the same to Buffy. But she remained keenly aware that each one was a lasting reminder of a lost life.

"I don't think I'm likely to forget how to get here. It's only a little further down the road. We'll be there in a minute," said Angel.

She nodded, staring at all the gravestones, knowing that one of them held Angel's mother. The car came to a stop and he cut the engine. Buffy opened the door, clutching her purse and several red carnations. She linked arms with Angel, him leading her to his mother's grave.

A marble carving of an angel jutted from the ground. It read CAROLYN ELIZABETH REILLY. DAUGHTER, MOTHER AND PROTECTOR. December 27, 1957 -August 7, 1977.

"She was killed on my sixth birthday."

"Oh, Angel. How horrible."

"I've always hated celebrating my birthday. Geoffrey used to make me celebrate the day after because I'd associate August 7th with the day she died. Now, I haven't even bothered in three years. It's just another day to me," Angel told her.

"I'm so sorry, Angel. I didn't realize."

He smiled at her. "That's okay." He placed half a dozen red roses on the grass in front of the headstone, saying a silent prayer. Buffy did likewise, but instead of praying, she thanked Carolyn for giving her the man she loved.

Angel wiped away his solitary tear with the back of his hand. He'd expected to be emotional, but didn't want Buffy to see his tears. However, she saw.

"Angel? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. A little overwhelmed is all."

"Do you want to stay awhile longer?"

He shook his head. "I think I'm ready to go."

They walked back to the car hand in hand. He held the door open for her like the gentleman he was. When they reached the road once again, Buffy asked him what he had planned for the rest of the day.

"It's a surprise."

"You know I hate surprises."

"You'll love this one."

---

Love it she did. Angel took her to dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant, remembering that it was her favorite type of food. He topped it off with a sunset boat ride through the San Francisco Bay. Nothing made him happier than seeing Buffy stand behind the railing, the wind blowing her blonde hair around her face. He had instructed that several pieces of blank drawing paper and a pencil be left inside a box for him. With it, Angel drew a picture of Buffy, capturing the essence of her joy on the paper. He handed it to her when they returned to the hotel room that night.

"Angel, this is beautiful. I didn't know you could draw," Buffy said.

"I used to do it a lot as a kid. Kept me busy."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course. Anything."

Buffy swallowed, trying to find the right words. "I don't want to seem ungrateful or rude, but how can you afford all this? Unless the Council pays you guys more than I thought they did."

"Money isn't an issue. It never will be. My grandparents died when I was two. They were large percentage shareholders in several big corporations, and when they died, it all went to my mother. And when she died, it was passed on to me. I officially inherited it all, all three hundred million of it, when I turned eighteen," he explained.

"So, you're rich. Very rich, actually. Cordy was right."

"How?"

"The necklace you gave me. She could tell it cost a fortune."

"I told you, money isn't an issue. My life isn't an extravagant one. And if I have it, I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend it on than the woman I love."

"That is me, right?"

He smiled. "Who else?"

They stayed up until one in the morning. Angel suggested they get some rest for tomorrow and they retired to their separate beds. Buffy lay there for half an hour listening to the sounds of his breathing. Hopping out of bed, she made her way over to Angel's.

The covers covered him only to his waist. Buffy lifted them before joining him. She covered herself, then planted kisses along his strong jawline. He stirred in his sleep, awakened by Buffy's kisses. Moaning from the disruption, he opened his eyes, staring right into Buffy's.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"I'm kissing you."

"Why?"

"Because I want to thank you for tonight." She brought her lips to his, fulling awakening him. He rolled to the side, facing her.

Angel pulled her close to him, returning the kiss with a hunger and need all his own. He felt her hands stroke his back, up and down from his neck to the waist of his boxer shorts. His did the same to her, only when they reached the waistband of her pants, he lifted the shirt she wore with his hand. It slipped under the cotton material, making contact with the warm skin beneath.

He lightly touched her skin, moving his hands along her sides, molding to fit every last curve. Angel closed his eyes when his hands reached the curves of her breasts. His fingers took on a life of their own, wandering over the flesh to feel her, for more contact with her exquisite body.

Moving on from her lips, Angel trailed across her cheeks to her ears and then to her neck. He sucked and licked and bit softly at the tender skin, becoming more than aroused by the affect her body was having on him. He wanted to make love to her.

Buffy exhilarated in what he was doing to her until she realized what it was doing to him. She became aware of his arousal and got scared. "Angel?"

"Hmm?" he asked, his face at the column of her throat.

"I want to stop. Please," she begged.

"What's the matter?"

Tears rolled out of her eyes and onto his arm. "I'm scared."

He wiped the tears away with his thumb. "It's okay, you don't have to cry."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that to you," she said through her tears. "You probably hate me for leading you on like that."

"No. You didn't lead me on."

"Angel, you're lying. I felt it, just like you felt it."

He brushed the stray hairs from her face. "Honestly, Buffy, I did feel it. I wanted to make love to you; I still do. But if it's too soon for you, I'll wait until you're ready."

"I don't know if I'll ever be ready." A fresh batch of tears fell.

"Today isn't the day. Maybe tomorrow isn't either. But when you are ready, Buffy, I will be here."

She found it unbelievable that he said that; that he'd still want to be with her after all she had just done. "You'd wait for me?"

"Forever, Buffy. I'll wait forever." He took her in his arms and let her cry until they both fell asleep.

---

Angel didn't want to wake her up. She was sleeping so soundly, he couldn't bear to rouse her. His right arm still lay across her side, his palm flat on her stomach. He smiled, but it turned to a frown, recalling the events of last night. They'd been so close to gaining everything they wanted -- closeness with each other. The closeness they could only attain through true intimacy.

But watching Buffy sleep made Angel realize how close he felt to her right then. Maybe they weren't ready for that kind of intimacy yet, but that didn't mean they couldn't be close. He wanted closeness with Buffy, and he was willing to wait until she was ready.

She stirred, as if she knew what he was thinking. Her back pressed harder against his chest, her legs stretching out. She turned her head to the right, seeing Angel watching her. It reminded her of waking up next to him the morning after Prom. "Hi," she greeted with a tinge of nervousness.

"Good morning." Angel removed his hand. "How did you sleep?"

"Okay."

Buffy got up from the bed and brought her eyes up to look at him. When she saw his face, she couldn't help but remember the night before. How she'd felt him pressed against her leg, his hands under her shirt, his mouth all over her head and neck. Suddenly, she couldn't look at him, despite his soothing words. Casting her eyes to the ground, she moved toward the bathroom.

"I-I'm going to get dressed."

"Buffy? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Why do you ask?"

"Because you won't look at me. Is it because of last night? Buffy, I told you I'd wait. For however long it takes," Angel said.

"I'm fine."

Buffy walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, seeing the girl with the puffy eyes and red cheeks. Trying to keep the tears out of her eyes, Buffy turned on the water, bringing a handful to her face. She felt so sick, like she might throw up.

'What am I going to do? I can't even look in his eyes without remembering last night. How am I supposed to spend the next twenty-four hours with him after what we did? Or almost did?'

Drying off her face, Buffy decided to act as though nothing had happened between them. She got dressed and went back into the room. Angel sat on the couch, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"What's for breakfast?" she asked.

Angel was relieved. She was talking to him. "Whatever you like."

"I'm in the mood for a ham and cheese omelette."

He nodded. "Alright. I'll order room service. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Peachy. Just hungry."

"Do you want to talk about it? Last night?"

She shook her head. "There's nothing to talk about. We talked last night, remember?"

"No, Buffy. You need to understand that I didn't mean to scare you."

Her lower lip trembled. "I know. It was my fault. I knew I wasn't ready, but I came into your bed anyway and started something I knew I couldn't finish. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. I played a big role in this, too. I shouldn't have done what I did."

She closed her eyes, then opened them. "Where does that leave us? Back where we started? 'Cause I liked the slow thing, but not that slow. But last night was too fast."

"You're right. It was. We need to find some kind of middle ground," agreed Angel.

"'Kay. Nothing too stimulating."

"That works for me."

"We're in agreement. And, Angel?"

"Yes?"

She gave him a half-smile. "When I'm ready, you'll be the first to know."

---

"What do you think they're doing?" Xander questioned. "Wonder if they're getting horizontal."

Cordelia slapped her boyfriend on the arm. "Xander! Is that all you think about?"

"Well, she's away with him, in a hotel room, mind you, and you think nothing's going to happen?"

"He booked a room with two beds," Willow informed him. "And if Buffy doesn't want anything to happen, nothing'll happen."

"What if he pressures her?"

Oz sighed and laughed. "Remember Kevin? He pressured her and look where is now."

"Buffy-less and miserable," Cordelia said with a chuckle. "How appropriate for him."

"Xander, don't worry so much about Buffy. She can take care of herself. And Angel's too honorable to try anything. He strikes me as the type to wait until it's right for both of them," Willow said, trying to comfort Xander.

He wasn't convinced. "He may be honorable, but Watcher Guy is still a guy. Which means he's still gonna want to...well, get it on."

Cordelia stood up. "Do you want to get horizontal? Get it on? Because if you keep this up, it won't be happening with me."

"Cordy!"

"Can't you let Buffy make her own decisions without making it your personal business?" she shot at him.

"It is my business."

She shook her head. "No it's not. It is Buffy's personal business if she sleeps with Angel. Not yours." Cordelia tried to imagine her friend in a passionate kiss with Angel. I get Xander, scrawny boy nightmares are made of. And Buffy gets Angel, the type of man girls have sexual fantasies about. How unfair is that?' She took off.

"I guess I should go apologize to Cordy for acting like a..."

"A guy?" Oz suggested.

"Yeah. Bye, guys." He went off in the same direction as Cordelia.

Oz glanced at his girlfriend. "Well, that was interesting."

"Oh yeah." She bit her lip. "Oz, do you think that they did?"

"Did?"

Willow laughed. "I shouldn't be thinking about this. She's my best friend, she'll tell me. But I wanna know now! Buffy said she might...you know...sleep with him if she felt ready. I'm dying to know."

"Will, don't you think that's exactly what Xander said?"

"No. Yes. Maybe. I can't wait until she gets back and I get to find out what happened."

---

"Are you dressed?" Angel asked from outside the bathroom, later that day.

He and Buffy had spent the day shopping. Although they felt comfortable with each other, Angel wanted to make it up to her, and he had arranged for the perfect evening.

The bathroom door opened, and Buffy walked out. During their shopping trip, Buffy saw a dress that she loved, and Angel bought it for her. She beamed with delight when he handed her the package. He'd never seen a more beautiful sight then when he saw Buffy leave the bathroom wearing the dress he bought for her.

She wore a strapless white dress, made of satin and lace, with a sweetheart neckline. It floated to the floor, where her feet were fitted into a pair of white sandals. Her hair cascaded past her shoulders, straight and glowing.

Angel's breath caught in his throat. "Buffy, you look...words can't describe how lovely you look. You take my breath away."

"I'll take that as a compliment. And you look very handsome."

He did. Angel wore a suit similar to the one he'd worn on their first date. Black trousers, white shirt, black suit coat and a navy blue silk tie. "Thank you. Ready to go?"

She nodded her head. "Yep. Where are you taking me, anyway?"

"You'll see."

Groaning, she gave Angel her hand. All he had told her was that he had something special planned. And as much as she hated surprises, she trusted Angel.

It took twenty minutes to get to the restaurant Angel made reservations at. Taking one look at it, Buffy knew it was an expensive restaurant, and that she was, indeed, in for a special night.

They approached the maitre'd "Reservations for Reilly," Angel told him.

"Yes. Table for two in our most romantic spot. Please follow me," he told the two, flashing them a genuine smile.

Buffy and Angel followed him, and upon reaching the table, Angel held out her chair for her. He took a seat and took the menus from the maitre'd.

"May I bring you the wine list, sir?"

"No, thank you. We'll have two waters, please," Angel told him.

The maitre 'd nodded once and left them alone. "This place is beautiful," Buffy said.

A waiter came over and placed two long, white candles on the table, lighting them.

"What's this about?" she asked.

"The gentleman requested a candlelight dinner," the waiter answered.

Angel grinned. "I hope you like it. This is my way of apologizing for last night. You deserve a special night."

"Thank you, Angel."

"You don't have to thank me. Just forgive me."

She grabbed his hand, holding it in the middle of the table. "It's okay. You don't need my forgiveness. I love you, Angel. Don't worry about what you did, you didn't do anything that doesn't come naturally. I only want you to love me."

"I do."

Dinner was as romantic as Angel hoped it would be. He wanted to show Buffy how much she meant to him; that he didn't need to make love to her to show her how deep his love went. It was a perfect evening for both of them.

"Thank you again. Tonight was so special to me," Buffy said to him when they got back to the hotel.

"It was special to me, too." He lifted her chin and kissed her. The kiss held the promise of something more, but Angel held back the passion, not wanting to frighten her again. She put her arms around his neck, keeping him close to her.

Angel felt that it was going too far. "We should stop," he said.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to repeat last night's mistake."

"We won't."

He disagreed. "Buffy, pretty soon things will get out of control like they did last night. And I'm going to unzip your dress and I will want more than you're ready to give. I won't be able to stop myself."

"I'll stop you."

"No. I'm not going to put you through that again."

Buffy relented, seeing that nothing she could say would change his mind. They got ready for bed on their last night in San Francisco. She asked him if she could sleep in his bed and Angel agreed. They just thrilled in falling asleep in the arms of the one they loved.

---

By two the next afternoon, they were standing on the Summers' front porch, locked in a heated kiss.

"I could get used to this," Buffy said between kisses.

"I hoped you already had," Angel replied.

She smiled. "Well, I have. But I still can't get over that I can."

"Can what?"

"Kiss you." She gave him another one. "Tonight and tomorrow morning are going to be really hard, you know that?"

"Why's that?"

Buffy wrapped her arms around Angel, pressing her cheek against his shoulder. "Because I won't be able to fall asleep in your arms and wake up next to you. I like having you be the first person I see in the morning."

"It'll be hard for me, too, Buffy. We knew this was only for a weekend."

"Why couldn't it be forever?"

"We're not ready for forever yet." He hugged her close. "Maybe someday soon," he whispered, barely audible.

She looked back up at him. "This was the best weekend of my life. Thank you so much, Angel."

"You're welcome." He leaned down to kiss her quickly on the lips. "I should go home and unpack."

Buffy frowned. "Do you have to go? We just got here."

"I'll be back for dinner. Remember, your mom invited me over?"

"Alright, if you have to go. But be back here at six o'clock sharp," Buffy ordered.

"Wouldn't miss it. I'll see you then." Angel stepped off the porch and got into his car. He blew Buffy a kiss before pulling out of the driveway.

Buffy entered the house. "Mom! I'm home," she called.

Mrs. Summers came down the stairs. "Welcome home, honey. How was San Francisco?"

"It was nice. I had a really good time."

"Did you and Angel do anything special while you were there?" Buffy's mother wanted to know.

"Yes we did. But, do you mind if I put away my stuff first?"

Mrs. Summers nodded her head and smiled. "I'll help you. Want me to take one of your bags?"

"If you want to."

They walked up the stairs to Buffy's bedroom, each carrying a suitcase. "How much did you buy while you were there?"

"Some stuff."

Mrs. Summers held up the white dress Angel bought. "This is a beautiful dress, Buffy. This must have cost a fortune. Did your father give you money and not tell me about it?"

"No. Angel bought it for me yesterday."

"He must have had a reason."

Buffy hung up two blouses. "He did. Last night he took me out for a romantic candlelight dinner in a fancy restaurant."

Mrs. Summers narrowed her eyes. "Exactly how romantic, Buffy?" she asked suspiciously.

She sighed. "Not *that* romantic, Mom. Nothing happened. And before you ask, yes we slept in the same bed and no, I didn't have sex with him."

"I'm just concerned, Buffy. I want to make sure you're being careful."

"I am not some hormonal, lust-driven teenager. Angel and I know what we're doing."

"Did he try to pressure you at all this weekend?"

"No!" Buffy exclaimed. "God. I thought you trusted him."

She tried to put her arms around her daughter, but Buffy backed away. "Honey, I do. Angel promised me nothing would happen and I took his word for it. But I know how things can happen. Things get out of control, Buffy, and sometimes we can't stop it."

"Well, I did stop it."

"So something did happen?"

"Almost. But I said no and he acted like a perfect gentleman and didn't try to push it. He held me and we fell asleep. Are you happy now that you know? Does it please you to know that I got scared!?" she yelled at her mother.

Mrs. Summers hugged her daughter. "I'm sorry to upset you, Buffy. I should have more faith in you, but I'm still a mother. And you're still my baby. The thought of you being in such a serious relationship to the point where it could become sexual scares me, too."

"Believe me, not as much as it scares me. That's why Angel and I stopped. Because I got scared. He told me that it was okay, that he'd wait until I was ready. And he just held me all night. Angel's not like Kevin, he loves me and wants to be with me. If he didn't love me, he would have forced it."

Mrs. Summers nodded. "Just promise me that when you are ready, you'll be careful."

Buffy hugged her mom back. "I promise."

---

"Did anything supernatural occur while we were gone?" Angel asked Giles at the elder Watcher's apartment later that afternoon.

"Nothing to speak of. A few vampires, but nothing out of the ordinary," he informed Angel. "How was your weekend?

Angel smiled. "It was great."

"You and Buffy had a good time, I take it?"

"Yes we did."

"What did you do there?"

"Friday night we stayed in the room." He saw Giles raise his eyebrows. "Don't even think it, 'cause I know you are. Saturday afternoon we visited my mother's grave and left her flowers."

Giles averted his eyes to the floor, away from Angel. "Carolyn, yes. I visited her shortly after I came to Sunnydale. Paid my respects."

He nodded solemnly. "I did that before I left for England. Anyway, Saturday night I rented a boat and took Buffy for a sunset cruise." He neglected to tell Giles of the events that night also held. "Sunday we went shopping and had dinner at an expensive restaurant I found there."

"And nothing happened between the two of you?"

Angel was offended. "I don't believe that's any of your business. What Buffy and I do on our personal time doesn't concern you. Particularly that kind of personal business."

"Angel, need I remind you--"

"Don't remind me. I don't want to hear what you have to say. It's dangerous, there are things I don't understand...fine. Until you give me specifics, don't give me generalizations," Angel told him angrily.

"We don't want you to get hurt."

"Forget it, Giles. Mind your own business where Buffy and I are concerned. I may have to learn from you as a Watcher, but you don't run my life. I may want you to see Buffy and I as a couple, as soulmates, but I won't let you tell me what to do."

"I cannot stand by and let you do this."

"Learn to." Angel left the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

---

"So it almost happened?" Willow asked, amazed.

Buffy shifted the phone to her other ear. "Yep. I got into his bed and started kissing him in his sleep. I don't know what came over me, I did it without thinking."

"Then what?"

"Angel woke up, he kissed me back and it started getting really...I don't know, I guess passionate. I wanted to be close to him, just be with him. He started to put his hand up my shirt, and, Will, I liked it, having him touch me. It made me feel beautiful and desirable," she explained.

"To him, Buffy, you are."

"I never felt like it. And I wanted to feel like that forever. But then I got scared. He...I felt him poking me with...I felt him, you know?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Sorry, I'm still a little uncomfortable around the subject. Willow, it scared the hell out of me. I wasn't ready and I asked him to stop. And he did. He was so sweet about it; said that he wanted to make love to me, but he'd wait and I love him for it."

"Angel's a stand-up kind of guy," Willow said.

"Uh-huh. Mom kinda flipped when I told her, but she's cool with it now. She understands that I need to make my own decisions and when I'm ready to sleep with Angel, I'll do it carefully."

"Wow. My mom would never be that cool with it."

Buffy chuckled. "I wonder what she really thinks. How she'll react when I finally do it."

---

After patrol, Buffy and Angel relaxed on the loveseat at her house, her legs resting on his lap. He ran his hands over the smooth skin. Buffy tried to pay attention to the movie they were watching, but she kept thinking about how his hands felt on her legs.

"That feels good," she said to him.

Angel smiled. "I guess you don't want me to stop then."

"Hell no."

Mrs. Summers came into the living room. "I'm going to bed, you two. Try not to stay up too late. Angel, it was nice to see you again."

"A pleasure as always, Joyce. I'll see you soon. Good night," he replied.

When Mrs. Summers disappeared from view, Angel continued stroking Buffy's legs. She liked it; if they couldn't be together physically, she'd settle for this.

"Did you talk to Giles?" she asked.

"Yes I did. We didn't miss anything earth-shattering."

"Did he want to know what happened, too?"

He snorted. "Of course."

"What did you tell him?"

"That it wasn't any of his business. Which it isn't. What goes on between me and you doesn't concern him."

Buffy sat up, swinging her legs off of him. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Not today."

"Why don't I show you." She straddled him, lowering her lips to his.

---

The whole gang sat in the lounge at the Bronze. They were enjoying a laid back Saturday night of dancing and just hanging out. Two weeks had passed since Buffy and Angel returned from San Francisco, continuing successfully with their middle-of-the-road relationship. Everything was working out fine.

"Don't those two ever stop?" Xander commented, pointing to Buffy and Angel, sitting on the couch engaging in a passionate embrace. "I mean, don't they know it's not polite to make out in a public forum?"

Cordelia smiled evilly. "Think of it this way, they have to come up for air sometime."

"Ha ha. Real funny, Cordy."

"Jealous much?"

Xander gave his girlfriend a strange look. "Of their prowess? I don't think so."

"Actually, I was thinking of you being jealous of Angel. Considering his lips are all over the object of your obsession," Cordelia told him.

"Hardly. I'm way over Buffy," he scoffed. "I find it disgusting in a public place, that's all."

Willow laughed. "I think they're cute. Look at them. They probably think they are the only people in the room. It is so adorable."

"Then you're obviously not seeing it from the angle I'm seeing it," said Xander.

"Oh, let them be, Xander."

"Not when it's right in front of my virgin eyes."

"Ha!" Cordelia turned his head and forced his lips on hers. "Better?"

He nodded. "Yeah." Glancing at Buffy and Angel, he groaned. They were still at it. "Hey! Isn't oxygen becoming an issue yet?"

They broke their embrace. "What?" Buffy asked.

"Get a room. Sheesh, didn't you guys have to breathe at all in the last twenty minutes?" Xander wanted to know.

"I'm a nose breather. Don't need to stop for air too often," Buffy explained with a mischievous grin. "Now that I think about it, it's probably a good thing we stopped."

"Why?" Angel asked.

"I was getting thirsty."

Cordelia laughed. "Not enough saliva between the two of you to keep you from dehydrating?"

"Cute. I need something to drink. Do you want anything, Angel?" Buffy asked her boyfriend.

"How about a hot chocolate? I could go for something sweet."

She nodded. "One hot chocolate coming up. Save my seat."

Buffy got off the couch and walked through the crowd of people to get to the refreshment counter. The line wasn't very long, so Buffy got the drinks -- a hot chocolate for Angel and a Dr. Pepper for herself -- in under five minutes. On her way back to the lounge, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned around to see who it was.

"Hi, Buffy," Kevin said.

She put on a fake smile. "Hello. What do you want?"

"I just wanted to say hi and see how you've been," he told her.

Buffy relaxed a little, not realizing that she had tensed up. "I'm doing good. How about you?"

"I'm okay. Been enjoying summer vacation so far?"

'Why is he being so nice? Last time we talked he was hell-bent on humiliating me,' Buffy thought. "Yes, I have. I took a little vacation to San Francisco, but nothing out of the ordinary. Yourself?"

"Nothing special," Kevin answered. "Look, Buffy, the main reason I'm here is to apologize."

Buffy almost dropped the two drinks she held. "Apologize?"

"Yeah. For the way I treated you. It was wrong of me to assume that you'd have sex with me. I never should have given you an ultimatum. I don't know what was going through my head at the time," he apologized.

She showed no emotion. His apology meant nothing to her. Had he done it two months earlier, it might have made an impression, but not now. "I couldn't answer that, Kevin."

"I can't even answer it myself. And I also want to say I'm sorry for hurting your feelings. I said some things I didn't mean, things that I'm sure hurt you. You have to know that I never meant them. That was my anger talking, not me."

Buffy shrugged her shoulders. "Fine."

"Buffy, I was hoping this would make everything right with us. Can you forgive me?"

"I've put what you said and did behind me."

He sighed. "Good, I'm glad. Is there the remotest possibility that we could pick up where we left off before I became a colossal jerk and blew things between us?"

This shocked her. Kevin wants to get back together?' "I don't think so, Kevin. I can't forgive and forget."

"But you said you did."

She shook her head. "No, I didn't. I said I put it behind me. It's not something I dwell on every night before I fall asleep, but it hurt me a lot. So forgiving and forgetting is not an option. And even if we had a regular breakup without the hurtful words, I still wouldn't go out with you again. See, I found someone who loves me for me, not because he thinks I might put out for him. I love him, and no amount of apologizing will ever make me leave him."

"Who is he?" Kevin wanted to know the name of the man who snagged Buffy's heart when he could not.

"Angel."

"Your History tutor? You said he was pushing thirty."

"He's not that old," Buffy said between gritted teeth. "We love each other."

Kevin couldn't think of anything to say. He wanted Buffy back so bad he could taste it. And now he'd lost the only girl he'd ever cared about to an older man. "I wish you happiness, then. He's very lucky."

"I'll tell him you said so. Bye, Kevin."

She walked away from him. Her mind was spinning. 'Kevin wanted me back. I can't believe it.'

"What took you so long?" Willow asked when Buffy re-entered the lounge.

Buffy handed Angel his hot chocolate. "I got sidetracked by Kevin."

"Matthews?"

"The one and only. And get this, he apologized for what he did before Prom. Claimed he didn't know what he was thinking," she told them.

"What did you say?" Angel wanted to know.

"That I've moved past it." Buffy laughed. "I haven't even told you guys the funniest part yet."

Cordelia leaned forward. "What's that?"

"Kevin wanted to get back together with me. 'Pick up where we left off,' or so he said. I almost laughed in his face. Told him I'm in love with Angel and that I wouldn't be forgiving and forgetting anytime in the near future."

"Go, Buffy," cheered Xander. "Nice to see you've finally gotten over him."

She glanced lovingly at Angel. "I have. I've moved on to more mature things."

---

Sunday morning Buffy woke up from a fitful sleep with one thought in her head, one name that kept chanting through her mind: Angel. The conversation with Kevin the night before in the Bronze made her see how wrong their year-long relationship was. It had been merely a stepping stone to finding the perfect man for her. Being with Kevin proved how immature their relationship had been, now immature she was and how she had found the right man to spend her life with. Buffy awoke with the realization that she wanted more.

Throwing on shorts and a t-shirt, Buffy skipped downstairs to the kitchen. "Hey, Mom. Good morning," she greeted cheerfully.

"Morning, sweetheart. You're awfully cheery this morning."

"Guess I woke up on the right side of the bed today."

Mrs. Summers laughed. "I guess so. Any particular reason? Had a nice dream, maybe?"

"Nope. I'm just in a really good mood."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. Will you and Angel be watching the fireworks tonight?"

'Independence Day. How fitting.' "Yep. He hasn't been in the U.S. for the Fourth of July in three years. He misses seeing the fireworks."

"They don't have fireworks in England?" joked Mrs. Summers.

"Not today they don't."

"I suppose you're right."

Buffy inhaled deeply. "Willow is having the gang over after the festivities, so I might not get home until really late. Don't wait up for me."

"Alright, honey. Have a good time."

She grinned. "I'm going to."

---

The fireworks exploded above them. Extraordinary explosions of color: red, white, blue, green and purple. Buffy sat on Angel's lap on the picnic blanket he'd set up for them on the lawn of Sunnydale High. The entire town came to the high school to watch the annual fireworks display.

"It's such a beautiful night for fireworks," Angel commented, wrapping his arms around his love.

"Yes it is." Buffy knew that this was the moment she'd been waiting for; the one she and Willow had talked about. She was ready. "Angel?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too." He placed a kiss under her left ear.

Buffy took a deep breath. "I want to show you how much."

Angel turned her body around to face him. "What?"

"I'm ready to love you in every way possible. Emotionally, spiritually and physically."

"You mean you want to..." He couldn't even finish the sentence.

Buffy nodded. "I'm ready, Angel. I want to make love to you."

His mind flashed back to a night two months earlier, when he comforted Buffy in the aftermath of her breakup with Kevin Matthews. The words she said entered his conscious thoughts. "I want to be in love when I make love to a man. It has to be right, it has to be with someone who loves me as much as I love him." 'Me? Buffy wants her first time to be with me?' "Buffy, are you sure this is what you want?"

She brought her lips to his in a sweet, loving kiss. "Absolutely. I want to be with you; I don't want to wait any longer."

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