"My Way - Chapter One"

Author: Sydnie
Email: sydniep@hotmail.com

It was the morning after Buffy Summers' seventeenth birthday. So much had happened the night before and she was a little disoriented when she began to wake. Memories flooded her mind: Spike, Dru, the Judge ... Angel. She and Angel had made love.

When she opened her eyes, he was lying beside her, deep in sleep. She took her hand and gently caressed his face. Angel's eyes opened to find Buffy staring at him.

"Good morning." She said, running her hand through his hair.

He grinned. "And a very good morning it is. ... How do you feel?

Buffy laughed, slightly, at his concern. She kissed him sweetly on the lips. "I've never felt more incredible, more loved."

"You are ... loved." Angel assured her.

They kissed again, this time with more passion before Angel broke it off.

"You have to go."

Buffy was confused. "Huh?"

Angel kissed her forehead. "It's 6 a.m., Buffy. You need to go home and get ready for school."

She sighed and lay back on the bed. "I don't wanna go! I want to stay with you in bed ... all day."

He rolled on his side to face her. "As wonderful as that sounds, you need to report to Giles. Let him know that the Judge is fully assembled and ready to destroy humanity."

"Oh yeah, that." Then she gave her lover an evil grin.

"What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" Angel inquired.

"Well, I was just thinking that I really don't have to be at school until eight and it doesn't take me that long to get ready. So..."

Before Buffy could finish her sentence, Angel's lips were crushing hers. Then he pulled the sheet that what was covering her body.

"I love you, Buffy, so much more than I ever thought I'd be allowed to."

Buffy wrapped her legs around his waist. "I love you too."

The Scooby Gang was assembled in the Sunnydale High library when Buffy entered the school. Before she pushed open the swinging door, she heard Willow yelling.

"I'm upset and I can't think of a mean word right now but that's what you are and we're going to the factory!"

Willow and Xander started out of the library and ran right into Buffy.

"Buffy!" Willow screamed.

"We were going to rescue you." Xander added.

Willow glared at the others gathered in the library. "Well, some of us were."

"I would have..." Giles responded defensively.

"Where's Angel?" Jenny inquired.

"He's at his apartment..." Buffy replied.

Cordelia sighed. "So, what happened?"

Giles rolled his eyes at the lack of enthusiasm in Cordy's voice. "Is the Judge...?"

Buffy nodded. "No assembly required. He's active."

"Damnit!" Giles slammed his fist on the desk.

"He nearly killed us. Angel got us out." Buffy added.

Giles put his hand on her shoulder and a solemn look took over his face. "Why didn't you call? We thought..."

An inner panic coursed through Buffy's body. But what Giles didn't know wouldn't hurt him. "Well, uh, we had to hide ... stuck in the sewer tunnels ... and with the hiding ... we split up."

Willow looked at her best friends face. She knew Buffy wasn't telling the entire truth.

"Buffy, the Judge. We have to stop him." Giles reminded the Slayer.

"I know." Buffy replied.

Giles scratched his head. "What can you tell us?"

Buffy sat on one of the tables. "Not much. I just touched him - kicked him - and it was like a sudden fever. If he'd gotten his hands on me -"

"In time he won't have to. The stronger he gets ... he'll be able to burn us all with a look." Giles informed her.

"Also not the prettiest man in town." Buffy added, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Giles took off his glasses, cleaned them and put them back on. "I'll just have to keep researching, look for a weakness. You should all get to your classes."

The kids exited the library.

Willow was waiting outside of Buffy's French class when she came out. She looped her arm through Buffy's and asked, "So, what's the real story?"

Buffy looked at her friend completely confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Come on Buffy, I saw the way you reacted when Giles asked you why you didn't call. What really happened?"

Buffy pulled Willow into an empty classroom and closed the door. Well, everything happened like I said ... except..."

Willow looked like a child on Christmas morning waiting for the really big present. "Except?"

"Except that we didn't split up. After we escaped through the sewers, it was pouring so we ran to his apartment. I was shivering so he gave me some of his clothes and told me to put them on and get under the covers to warm up. When I was taking my top off..."

"Where was Angel when you were changing?" Willow asked in a high-pitched voice.

"Turned around, looking the other way. Now, do you want to hear this or not?"

"Sorry."

"Anyway, I must have gotten cut when we were fighting our way out of the factory because the material from my shirt stung my skin. When Angel heard me wince, he asked me what was wrong. I told him that it was just a cut or something and he told me to let him see it, but by the time he looked at it, it was no more than a scratch." Buffy ran her hand through her hair. "God Will, it's kind of a blur, but he told me he loves me and I told him that I feel the same way and then we kissed. He said that maybe we should stop, but I told him to just kiss me ... and then we ..."

"Carpe diem?

Buffy smiled and nodded her head. "Lots of carpe last night ... and this morning."

"Oh Buffy, I'm so happy for you." Willow squealed as she hugged her friend. "What was it like? I mean, did it, you know, hurt."

"A little, at first, but Angel was gentle and loving and ... perfect."

All Willow could say was, "Wow!"

After school, Buffy immediately went to Angel's apartment. She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She tried the doorknob. It was unlocked so she let herself in.

"Angel?"

He walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel. "Hey."

She went up to him and embraced him. "It was such a long day. All I did was think about you."

"You're all I thought of as well." He assured her as he kissed her gently.

Buffy lowered her eyes to the floor.

Angel lifted her face by her chin. "What?"

"If I ask you something, will you be totally honest with me?"

He tightened his embrace. "Always."

"Was I ... good..." She blushed.

Angel pushed a few stray hairs from her eyes. "Buffy, I've existed for several lifetimes, but I have never really lived until last night."

"But, I mean, you've been with hundreds of..." She started.

He caressed her face. "I've had sex many times, but you are the first, the only, woman I've ever made love to."

Buffy's heart swelled with her love for him. Then fear took over her body. "Angel, what are we going to do about the Judge?"

"We're going to find a way to stop him. Then ... we'll find a way to rid our lives of Spike and Dru."

Buffy smiled. "How about a nice sharp stake through each of their cold, dead hearts."

Angel laughed and then kissed her.

The battle with the Judge wasn't that much of a battle at all. After a few flippant comments between foes, Buffy blew the Judge into tiny, little pieces with a rocket launcher.

"My best present ever." Buffy winked at Xander.

He nodded back at her. "Knew you'd like it."

Willow looked around the multiplex. "Do you think he's dead?"

Buffy looked to Angel.

"You guys pick up the pieces. Keep them separated." He advised.

When the Scoobies finished disposing of the Judge, they headed back to the library. Jenny was waiting for them.

"The Judge?"

"Dust, well, most of him." Buffy answered as she yawned.

Angel put his arms around her waist. "Tired?"

"Mm hmm. It's been a long couple of days."

Angel kissed her on top of her head.

"I can give you a lift home if you'd like." Jenny offered.

"No thanks. I kind of wanna walk home. Clear my head." She looked back at Angel. "Walk me home?"

"With pleasure."

Buffy and Angel said their goodbyes and headed to her house.

"So, still going shopping with your mom tomorrow?" Angel inquired.

Buffy nodded her head. "It's not often I get a 'mom sponsored' shopping trip."

"When's your dad supposed to pick you up?"

They were no standing on her front porch.

"Around five." She put her arms around his neck and she smiled. "Why, you gonna miss me?"

"Maybe, just a little." He leaned down and kissed her.

"Come up to my room."

"Buffy..." Before he could begin his sentence, the front door opened.

Joyce looked at her daughter in the arms of her History tutor. "Well, this explains why your History grade hasn't improved."

"Mrs. Summers" Angel greeted.

"I guess you wouldn't believe that I'm doing extra credit?" Buffy gave her mother a big smile.

"I think that the three of us should have a little talk." Joyce walked back into the house and held the door for the lovers.

Angel had experienced many things in his many years of existence, but nothing scared him more than facing the mother of the woman he loved.

 

The End