Part four

"Don't be silly" she said. "I'm with Riley now. Aren't I allowed to be concerned for a friend?"

"Of course, but can't you see that you're in love with the guy? If it was Parker you wouldn't care one bit, but as its' - "

" - That would be different." Buffy interrupted, feeling awkward with what Willow was saying. " I know you mean well, but I think I'd know if I was still harbouring feelings for Angel."

With that abrupt exchange, that topic was halted. Buffy put their cups in the sink and headed for the door, keeping her eyes averted from Willow at first.

"Giles will be waiting for us" she said, feeling incredibly guilty for her snappiness.

Willow gave her a warm smile, indicating that she wasn't hurt.

"Sort your head out, Buffy. It's not fair on anyone, especially you."

Buffy attempted to smile back but it disintegrated as soon as it had appeared. She lead the way out.

*

Riley smashed into the ground with a hard thud. Disorientated, he tried to stand back up but the two vampires grabbed him and the taller one flipped him over its shoulder.

He rolled himself over and managed to get a small bottle of holy water out of his pocket. The vial was too hard to open, it was stuck. Riley fumbled with it, but the other vampire kicked it right out of his hands.

He had lost all his stakes earlier on as well. Four pointy sticks, including the one he'd stolen, and every time he whipped one out, the vampires had wrestled it from him and thrown them out of reach. They were too quick and strong for him. Riley didn't have a chance in hand to hand combat. He dug back in his pockets, but was out of gadgets.

No, not quite!

Riley seized his necklace, broke it from his neck and held it up towards them.

"S..Stay back!" he squealed. Physically he was exhausted, and mentally he felt like a failure. How could he be able to take out the most viscous vampire that ever existed if he couldn't even stake a couple of newbies?

They literally were new to the killing business, and at this rate Riley would be their first victim. Like a fool, he had headed to the local cemetery looking for some action. Patrolling the graves, he'd even saw them rise, so had the initial advantage. Without his guns and stunning machines however, he was useless. They were tossing him like a pancake, and he was powerless to resist. This was getting embarrassing.

The vampire did shirk away and hiss, but then it shrugged its shoulders and came back.

Riley glanced down at the necklace and realised the cross had fallen from the chain when he'd taken it off. Very embarrassing. Between losing the stakes, water and cross, maybe he deserved to die for being so clumsy.

Damn. It felt like the entire world was against him, why was he having such bad luck against two petty vampires? He was Riley Finn, Initiative extraordinare.

Tall-boy had stopped hissing and was now even closer. Riley was on the ground, he wouldn't be able to move away quick enough.

Riley had a brain-wave. The vampire that was leaning in to suck his neck was close enough for him to reach for the chest. He thrust his hand towards the heart, expecting some sizzling.

The vampire simply ignored it and bore on down.

Damn. Again.

"Excuse me?! Where was the hissing?"

Riley had doused himself with holy water, hadn't he?

"You're supposed to burn!" He screeched, terrified at the baring fangs.

"Uh-huh. Now can you be quiet? I need to practice my biting" the vampire replied.

This wasn't just embarrassing. It was pathetic. Use your brains, Agent Finn, before you lose your reputation.

Riley laid back on the floor and feigned defeat, but was casually looking around. The other vampire was creeping up and down the cemetery nearby, looking for a meal itself, so he only needed to worry about the one standing above him. The vial of water had fallen intact just a few metres away. If he could only stretch his arms, maybe he could reach it.

The vampire leant in.

"Stuff this" Riley sighed, pulling his legs up towards his body and then thrusting them into the vampires face. He'd knocked it back and the vampire fell onto a grave-stone unconscious.

"Oh yes!"

Riley crawled towards the vial and grabbed it. The bottle was obviously still screwed too tight, but Riley now had more control over it and finally it gave way.

The other vamp pulled him back and the open bottle spilled its contents over Rileys face and fell down.

Riley turned to face the demon and grinned. He was in a tight grip he couldn't escape from, so he leant forward and bit the vampires neck.

The vampire screamed in pain and let him go, stumbling back. Its flesh around the neck fizzed and it fell to its knees.

It was in agony.

Riley had never felt better. He ran back to one of the open graves and picked up one of his stakes that had been dropped earlier. He dusted tall-boy first, then casually took his time to put the second one out of its misery. It was fascinating how the water had melted it like a candle. Hmmm.

The holy water had worked for him with that last vamp, he'd poured some into his mouth as the bottle was dropped. So why hadn't it worked before?

He wiped his brow with his jumper, then looked at the sleeve. Of course. He'd sweated the holy water away! No wonder he hadn't been able to disintegrate the first one.

It was the work-out Riley had wanted, he now felt more confident of his abilities than ever- Angel may be a good fighter, but Riley had Initiative. And he had weapons. Between them, Angel wouldn't stand a chance.

His watch told him it was past midnight. Was Buffy expecting a call? Gosh, he hadn't rang her all day, what if she had tried to contact him? His family from Iowa thought he was at Sunnydale, so she would surely work out he was lying when his family confirmed that he wasn't there. His mobile was back at the motel, so Riley ran back as fast as he could, which wasn't very after all the scrapes he'd had that night. He was still on a high, oh yeah baby. God he had finally proven himself a worthy opponent for Angel, he had a detailed plan of the agency and he knew about Angels movements for the next week (as in no plans). Buffy was HIS girlfriend, and it would be so sweet to finally claim 100% of her. Angel would no longer have control. She would thank him for this, when the spell over her is lifted.

Riley had convinced himself that it wasn't jealousy but duty for him to purge Angel out of the world. The demon had maimed and killed for centurys. He was what the industry called a bad guy, a threat. The fact that Angel had an even worse alter ego as Angelus had backed up Rileys opinions. Wasn't it righteous and correct for the good guy to eliminate the bad guy? Of course it was.

These all were reasons he had for killing the guy, but the main reason simply was that he hated him. Angel had beaten up his team, fluffed up his girlfriend, and beaten up Riley himself. And Riley wanted payback.

He entered his room through the motel door and hunted through his bag to find his mobile. Finally, he found it. Speed dialling, he called Buffys house.

She picked it up on the fourth ring.

"Hiya? Hello?" said a suspiciously chirpy voice for that time of day.

"Its me, Riley. Uh, how are you?" he said, feeling detached. Her voice was so sensual, it broke his heart to be apart from her and to lie to her.

"Riley! Hello! I thought you were.Willow.but that's good its you. I'm good, great! How are you?" Buffy replied.

Riley let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't phoned Iowa. But. He ignored the voice asking why she HADN'T rang her boyfriend, but he excused it opting to believe she had tried his mobile while he was out.

"Good too. What's wrong? You sound distracted"

There was a brief silence before a burst of hysterics.

"Coffee intake. Makes me a little crazy. Wait a second, I'll be back in a minute."

Riley patiently waited for exactly 40 seconds before she picked up the phone again.

"I'm on my mobile" he said sternly

"Sorry" came the more sober reply "It's been a very long day. We've been trying to find that K'narli demon and I've been patrolling for a couple of hours. It's been crazy. So what's the what with you?"

"Calmer. I've been forgiven for leaving early, but they're determined that I stay for the entire week. Sorry, I tried."

Riley un-crumpled the piece of paper he had used for his map and spread it on his bed with his phone free hand.

"Don't be, Riley. Its sweet of you to do that for them, going all the way back like you did. And I've been so busy here anyway. Actually, if you try to call me over the next week, don't be surprised if you can't contact me as I'm out slaying and patrolling, OK? In fact, don't hate me for suggesting this as you know how much I miss you, but it'd be easier if I just concentrated on this demon for the next few days, so maybe we could.cut contact for a while?"

She winced, it had sounded so harsh. But what else could she say? Please don't be mad.

"That's just perfect!" laughed Riley "I didn't want to say, but I've been roped into a camping trip with some of my old friends and can't take my mobile out with me. I'm going to be communication free for a few days anyway. I was going to say, but I wasn't sure how you'd react! I didn't want to hurt you.'

Buffy laughed too, and they spent about ten minutes talking idly to each other like they always did- relaxed and couple-y. Then Riley's credit ran out.

He placed the phone back on the bed and fell back down on it himself. He blessed that demon for keeping Buffy busy - although he naturally was worried about her safety - because he didn't have to worry about unexpected phone calls anymore and could concentrate on the job.

That would be the last contact between them for a while. By the time he heard her angelic voice again, her ex would be ash.

Riley tried to sit back up, but his muscles ached too much. Riley lifted his jumper to find some small bruises forming. He touched his face and found he had been bleeding too. He frowned to himself. If Buffy had taken these knocks she'd be virtually unscathed. It was a shame that she couldn't be with him, sharing the experience.

Part five

The day had been an entire waste of time. Buffy, Giles and Willow were no closer to finding the K'narli demon than they were that morning. They knew they had reached rock bottom when Giles had announced he was giving up for the night.

Without the book he'd ordered, they knew next to nothing.

Buffy had frantically tried to help by scanning books and getting jelly filled donuts, but there was no information found whatsoever. Which irritated her, as at that rate Riley would be coming with her to LA on their honeymoon.

She hadn't changed her mind about going, oh no. Talking to Willow had made her all the more determined. The white flowers Angel had sent felt like a homing beacon calling her name. Angel needed help - she could feel it - and she was going to be no use while she was stuck in Sunnydale.

In the end, Giles finally had to call the stockists that he'd reserved the book with and ask where it was.

"It'll be here tomorrow morning." Giles reiterated as he put the telephone back down. "There isn't anything else we can do tonight so I suggest that you both go home. Thank-you for helping though, it would have taken me twice as long to hunt through my books otherwise."

"And it would have taken twice as long to realise they were useless, too" Buffy couldn't help but add.

Willow laughed, then stopped when Giles gave her a mock evil eye. She turned away and looked at Buffy, they silently shared a smirk.

The women put their coats on and opened the front door to leave. Willow stared at Buffy as she walked out into the street, sending her a magick psychic message that said `Work out your issues NOW'. Buffy attempted to reply, but didn't have much confidence in her own witchcraft abilities so nodded her head instead.

Willow grinned and left, obviously ecstatic that her message had worked.

As Buffy was following Willow out, Giles held her back for a second.
"If you come around at about 8am tomorrow, we'll make an early start. I don't know what the rush is for, but I can hypothesise *who* its for. "
Giles smiled, despite reservations inside which would never fade after what had happened to Jenny.
"I don't want you patrolling tonight, Buffy, you're too preoccupied and that's going to make you weak in battle. I just don't want you to die."

Buffy agreed. "Thanks for the advice, Giles. And I will, come round at eight that i

."
She hugged the English gentleman and walked out of the house. Without Giles, she swore she'd fall apart.

"Give all my best to Wesley!" shouted Giles behind her.

Buffy turned around, laughed, threw her arms up in a melodramatic sigh and went home. How did everyone know that she was thinking about Angel? Was it really that obvious? It didn't matter though, as long as Riley didn't find out.

It was nearly midnight by then. Taking that advice not to go patrolling, she headed for her room and changed into her night clothes, ready to sleep. She laid back on her bed and tried to empty her mind. She couldn't. No matter what she tried, an image always remained. Angel. It was burned into her soul. If she was honest, she'd admit that she only wanted to go up to LA to see him, breathe him again. The idea of traveling cities just to ask why he had sent her flowers was ridiculous, and maybe Angel knew that. Perhaps this was really his sneaky way of seeing if he still had an effect on her. See if she went all that way to see him because of that. And what do you know, he was right.

With the comfort of her bed and the heaviness of the air, Buffy gave up trying to delude herself for just one night. Using the image of Angel that was still shining in her head, she studied it. His brooding, pained eyes. The contours of his face. The sweetness of his skin, the manliness of his body. His vulnerability and guilt, despite the strength he possessed.

Because she didn't have Angel in the flesh, Buffy had to rely on her memories. She replayed her seventeenth birthday in her mind: that once in a lifetime night when they'd made love for the first and only time. The night that had cost so many peoples lives. If she had the choice, would she do it again, knowing the fallout? Would she deny herself her one most blissful moment of happiness?

She shook her head back to reality. Of course she would. She did, when Angel had left to set up home in Los Angeles. Their sacrifice, the reason why she shouldn't reminisce and the reason why she shouldn't go up there.

She loved him. Truly, madly deeply. And it hurt and it ached but for that one night she wouldn't deny herself that feeling of passion she felt for that man - not vampire, man- because he was the deepest most beautiful man she knew, and it would never be again.

So why the flowers?

She just didn't understand.

She opened her eyes and thought about what she was doing. She was giving herself a luxury in allowing her troubled mind to rest that night and be totally honest about her feelings, but what if she couldn't close it now the flood-gate had opened? Could she ever look Riley in the eye again? Could she ever have sex with him again?

`Stop thinking` She thought. She closed her eyes again and floated into a romantic and sexual dream about her ex honey. Deep down inside her where the consciousness was, she secretly hoped that he was experiencing it as well. She missed sharing dreams with him. It had only happened a few times, but she had always felt more whole than when she hadn't.

Then, the phone rang.

Her immediate thought was that it was Angel. They had always shared a bond, perhaps he could feel her love re-surfacing. Perhaps he had felt an urge to phone her. She was ready to admit all to him, right then. How she felt, what she wanted, why she hated her life without him, and how he was the one to restore her happiness.

She picked it up.

"Hello? Hiya?" she asked, frantic, numb and also in bliss.

She realised it wasn't him before the person spoke, there was something different about the atmosphere.

"Its me, Riley. Uh, how are you?" said a familiar voice. Riley? Riley!

Oh god. Would he be able to tell that she had just been thinking about another man? Did her voice betray her? Riley didn't deserve this, she had been unfaithful in a sense, wishing that she was still with Angel. It was wrong.

"Riley! Hello! I thought you were.Willow.but that's good its you. I'm good, great! How are you?" Buffy said, hoping he would believe her.

Her cheeks had flushed, she felt caught out. She loved Riley, they were a couple. But she wasn't in love with Riley, was she?

Oh no. Did she just admit that to herself? Or did she say it out loud?

"Good too. What's wrong? You sound distracted"

He knows.

Buffy felt hyper, not in control. She felt herself laughing hysterically. Her dirty little secret was going to come out if she didn't do something to calm herself down.

"Coffee intake. Makes me a little crazy. Wait a second, I'll be back in a minute." She said.

Buffy put the phone down on her bed and she sat on the edge with the head down on her lap and her hands protectively covering herself from the world. After about a minute, she considered herself calm enough to have a relatively normal conversation with her boyfriend.

"I'm on my mobile" Riley said sternly as Buffy picked the phone back up.

"Sorry" she said, resolving to change the subject and give a brief description of her day, neglecting to mention who she had just been thinking about.

Then she asked how Riley was.

"Calmer. I've been forgiven for leaving early, but they're determined that I stay for the entire week. Sorry, I tried."

She bet he did. But was glad he was out of the way. Now, more than ever she had to talk to her demon lover. She needed to know if Angel regretted leaving and if he still loved her. Could they put their past year behind them? She couldn't believe she was seriously thinking this because of the past year. Angel has left her for a new life, what made things different now? Because she had seen his soul in his eyes when they had last met, and because he had sent flowers.

So many questions.her head was full of them. Was she prepared to let go of Riley normalcy in exchange for Angel the soul mate? What was the right choice? She didn't know, but felt her answers would be found in LA.

But until then, she should at least be careful with her boyfriend.

"Don't be, Riley." She whispered. "Its sweet of you to do that for them, going all the way back like you did. And I've been so busy here anyway."

Buffy had an idea. Dare she ask?

"Actually, if you try to call me over the next week, don't be surprised if you can't contact me as I'm out slaying and patrolling, OK? In fact, don't hate me for suggesting this as you know how much I miss you, but it'd be easier if I just concentrated on this demon for the next few days, so maybe we could.cut contact for a while?"

There, it'd been suggested. But she still winced, it had sounded so harsh. But what else could she say? Please don't be mad.

"That's just perfect!" chuckled Riley "I didn't want to say, but I've been roped into a camping trip with some of my old friends and can't take my mobile out with me. I'm going to be communication free for a few days anyway. I was going to say, but I wasn't sure how you'd react! I didn't want to hurt you."

Buffy laughed with relief. That was too amazing for it to be true. Riley out of contact for a few days, a quick untraceable trip to LA and she could sort out her feelings before he returned. If Angel didn't want her, maybe she'd be able to stay with Riley.

No. She couldn't go back to Riley now. In her heart, she knew that it was too late. She had pledged it to Angel, and even if Angel told her to get stuffed, she wouldn't be able to touch Riley the same way she had done ever again. Too late. Their relationship was over.

Somehow, Buffy couldn't tell him there and then, she didn't know what to say. Guilty, fragile and unsure what it would achieve, she resolved to finish it when she returned from Los Angeles and knew where she stood in the world. One thing was for sure though. She was going to lose a good friend with Riley. Poor thing. He didn't deserve her.

It was difficult sustaining a talk with a boyfriend she was intending to `dump', and she felt deathly guilty about it, but it was the only righteous choice.

Thankfully, the phone cut off ten slow minutes later.

The flood-gate was open, and even with her slayer strength, it would never close again.

She fell back to sleep with a scary dream where Angels life was threatened, but she didn't know by what. She woke up at six am very troubled by it. She shook her head and blamed it on nerves after what she'd finally admitted last night.

The phone jumped into life. Hesitantly, she picked it up.

"Um.hello?"

"Its me. The book has arrived, we're back in business!"said an exhilarated Giles.

Buffy grinned with happiness. Now she could ensure that she and Angel would be having a heart to heart within 24 hours.

It was all coming together.

She had never got dressed and out the house faster in her life.

Part six

She tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear and turned to face Angel again.

"I need to know. Really" she said with a touch of urgency.

Angel shrugged his shoulders, and tried to psyche himself up to lie.

"It looks great"

"Liar"

Cordelia turned back to face the mirror, and took the long haired, platinum wig from her head. She put it on her desk and shook her own black tresses out from the scrunched ponytail it had been suffocating in. she opened up one of the desks' drawers and took some volumising products out.

"I don't understand why you suddenly have an urge to change your hair colour" Angel commented as he returned to flicking through a magazine.

"You know that advert I had auditioned for yesterday? Well they rejected me. Auditions continue today, so I thought if I blagged my way back in with a semi- permanent new image, I'd get it."

"There are so many flaws in that plan, that I'm just going to smile and nod" he retorted, imitating the actions as he said them.

Cordelia just glared at him.

There was a peaceful moment of silence, before it was interrupted by the telephone ringing.

Angel eagerly leapt up towards Cordys desk to take it, but because she was nearer, she beat him to it with a graceful movement of her hand.

"Angel Investigations. We help the hopeless"

Angel teetered at her desk and waited patiently.

"Hello? Anyone actually ON the other side of the line? Stop it Phantom Dennis I told you I was working and wasn't lying" she said and put the phone down.

"Phantom Dennis?"

"I don't think it was, but it might have been him. I said that just in case, you know. He gets possessive." she replied.

"Oh"

"Are you expecting a call?" she asked suspiciously

"Of course not" he said quickly, and returned to his chair

"You've been funky all day, what's wrong?" Cordy asked, putting her products away and taking some papers out of her drawers.

"The usual" Angel sighed

"Give me the details" she said, although she was only half listening as it was. She had noticed some sort of smudge mark on the top leaf of the papers. Frowning, she began to flick through the rest.

"I'm worried. I did something I shouldn't have"

"mmm?" Cordelia hummed, eyes trained on the sheets. Fantastic, all she needed. She'd have to reprint some of these.

"I sent Buffy a bouquet of flowers"

"What?!" she screeched, dropping all the papers on the floor. "What on earth did you think that would achieve?"

She kneeled on the floor and picked up the sheets.

"I. I don't know. I just don't know. I miss her. My body aches when shes not around, I feel vulnerable. I know it was selfish of me, but I couldn't help it. I had to- t's just that after I'd sent them, I realised it was too late. When I was choosing them, I was only thinking of her. I forgot about.Riley. I'm worried that I might have caused her some problems. She hasn't called at all. she might be angry"

Angel began to help her pick up all the papers that were strewn across the office.

"So ring her. Say that you made a mistake." Cordys eyes sparkled with a suggestion- "tell her they were for me!"

"I can't call her, it'll just cause more problems" he replied

"You're talking in riddles"

Then Cordelia smelt the burning.

"What the-" she said as Angel suddenly threw his hand up in the air like he'd been bitten. Cordy watched as he tentatively placed it back on one of the sheets of paper. She moved over to him to see what he was staring at. A faint hissing sound came from his fingers. He removed them and showed her that they were slightly smoother.

"Beats a manicure" she said quietly, in awe.

"Holy water on the documents." Angel muttered. "It isn't pure, seems like somebody sweated it when they were leafing through them. Someone was in our office"

He stood up and roughly threw the paper onto Cordelias desk.

"I knew it."

He returned to his desk and began rifling through the things in the drawers.

A slight hissing sound began again.

He stopped, defeated. "They've been through all my belongings, yours too I'll bet"

"Who?"

"I have an idea." Angel replied. "Last night, I noticed some kid loitering outside here.doused in holy water."

"and you've only just connected the dots?!" she exclaimed

"I suspected, but until my hand began disintegrating, no. I didn't connect. I only noticed the kid because he was covered in anti- vampire perfume, but I did recognise him. I just can't place where."

"Cool. A stalker. Haven't had one of them in a long time". The voice dripped with sarcasm

"We need to find out who it is, what he wants and who he's working for. Main priority. I'll search the streets, find out if there's an assassin out for any of us"" Angel said.

He returned to his desk and opened his schedule.

"I've got some addresses here of demon snitches that I'll check out. Can you start a data-base on this for me?" he asked. He jerked his hand back when he realised too late that his schedule folder was covered in holy water as well.

"Damn it!" he shouted, seeing as a vampire couldn't shout `Jesus Christ' or `for God's sake' without feeling any after effects.

Suddenly the phone began to ring again.

Both of them turned to it, things falling into place.

"The anonymous caller-" Cordelia started

"-is the holy water guy" Angel finished

He walked to her desk and picked it up. No longer expecting it to be Buffy.

"Hello?"

Silence

"Hello?" he said again, on the verge of anger.

He didn't really expect a reply, so was surprised to hear a voice on the other end. It was tinny, a voice-distorter was being used to conceal who-ever it was.

"Remember me?" the voice asked spitefully.

Angel shook his head to indicate `no', but didn't say it out loud.

"the great thing about killing a vampire" the voice continued "is that you can't get arrested for it. They just go `poof'- or in your case, burst into flames."

Angel felt anxiety creeping up his back. A threat. But from who?

"Your office is awfully dark. TIME IT WAS LIGHTENED UP"

Angel instinctively looked at the draped windows.

He was still holding the phone when they exploded.

The noise was deafening.

"Cordy get down!" he shouted over the crashing sound. But she had already crawled under her desk for safety as the drapes flew away from the window, glass splintered everywhere and the sun came in.

Splinters hit the wall, making it sound like it was being attacked by hail-stones.

"Angel!" she shouted back, but he didn't reply. The noise stopped as soon as it started, and after two slow minutes, she deemed it safe to get out. Her shoes squelched on the glass as she stood up. The office was a mess. The computer was cracked, the drapes somehow incinerated and papers and glass everywhere. The desks were scratched badly, and Cordelia caught her reflection in her now broken mirror. Dishevelled. She glanced at the floor to see what had broken the windows, but nothing unusual was there.

"Angel?" she asked, more quiet this time. She surreally walked to the window and looked out into the sunny street, feeling the heat on her face. A few people were watching the building in obvious surprise of the explosion, but she didn't see anyone moving suspiciously.

As if she would.

"Angel?"

She felt numb. Was Angel dead? She turned from the window and picked up the half dissolved drapes. She clumsily hooked them back up, but although they darkened the room, it was not entirely sun free.

Nausea swept in. Where was he?

It was then that she heard a slow tapping noise. She followed the sound to the cupboard and opened it slightly to reveal a dusty looking Angel.

She sighed deeply with relief.

"Thank God" she whispered.

"Couldn't risk just coming out" he choked. He looked out into the room and saw some rays of light cutting through it from nearby. "Still can't" he added.

Cordelia hurriedly returned to the window and tried fixing them better.

"That was no brick" she muttered to herself, fiddling with the drapes.

"Exactly" Angel said vehemently from the cupboard. "And now I know who it was."

"Who?"

"Riley. Buffys new boyfriend"

Cordelia finally managed to cover the entire window and indicated for Angel to step out back into the office.

He did, with game face well and truly on.

Part seven

"Oh my god! I hope no-body was in there!" shrieked a woman standing next to Riley, seconds after the explosion.

Riley numbly looked at her and nodded mechanically. He walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, putting the bouquet of red flowers he was holding next to him. The woman joined him.

"Do you think it was a gas leak?" she asked voyeuristically.

"No" Riley mumbled

"Or some sort of gangster attack?" she continued "that building has.had a reputation for shady detective work, you know"

"I do know"

"Can I use your phone? Someone needs to call the police, I'd love it to be me- might get on telly for it"

Riley nearly handed the mobile over before registering why she wanted it. He abruptly pulled away.

"I'll do it myself" he said, feeling a need to explain why she couldn't make the call. Her face dropped with surprise and hurt, but it didn't deter her from leaving, much to Riley's dismay.

There were quite a few people standing outside the building by now, talking and staring at it. Nobody had made a move to enter, and the police seemed not to have been called because there were no sirens in the air. Then again, the explosion had just happened, give it some time.

Riley closed his eyes and rubbed his head, in pain. A severe head- ache had started and it was making him queasy.

"Oh wonderful, she's ok." said the woman, nudging him back from his own world. "Look, she's at the window"

Riley shakily opened his eyes and followed suit. And there Cornelia was, alive and human and shaken.

His headache lessened as he began to feel better. He hadn't killed her after all!

She stared out for a second, causing Riley to suddenly attempt small talk with the woman to try and make himself inconspicuous.

"She's fine" he said very cheerfully "see, she's putting up.some.drapes. to block out the sun."

Well what did he expect? If a human could survive that blast, a vampire certainly would.

Giving up all hope for the day, he stood up and began to walk back to the motel.

"Don't forget your flowers!" the same female voice shouted behind him.

Riley gasped, came back, pinched them from her and ran home at lightening speed. Breathing deeply, and still feeling weak, he took the little black contraption out from the middle of the flowers and threw the posies into the bin. He sat on his bed and looked at it for a second, thinking.

He had begun his onslaught against Angel, intending to start with a warning that the vampire was being targeted. Riley had wanted to taunt it, let it feel fear of the shadows for itself. To prod and scare it until Riley had weakened Angel entirely and Riley could walk in and say "This is for Buffy" before pushing the stake into its chest.

That day had been the warning day, the day to shake things up, to start the campaign. He had chosen to begin with one of the weapons he had possessed when he was in the Initiative, namely a `hot-air gun' (HAG). It was to be the first time he'd used it, so Riley was naturally excited. This small weapon projected a quick, intense burst of heat towards the target. If the target was a demon, it would fry. In this case the target were the windows. The intention was to make them explode, maybe letting a bit of sun through, causing Angel to get frighted and aware that Riley meant business.

Of course if he were to walk down that street, aim and fire in the extreme daylight, there would have been about forty witnesses from the area which would have seen him do it- game over. So Riley had suavely hidden HAG in the middle of, of all things, a bouquet of red flowers.

Poetic justice or what?

Because the machine didn't make a sound or show its projection (for Initiative requirements) he could shoot anyone in pure day and all that he would look like would be some loser waving flowers around. Touché.

He had been very confident that morning, first buying the flowers then lurking outside the building for a couple of hours. He had phoned them a couple of times as some sort of pre-empt, teasing them by staying silent and hanging up. But it wasn't much fun as Angel hadn't yet picked up the phone once. When Angel did, then Riley would know he was there and so could start his little display of fire-works.

And then he did.

It had shocked Riley for a second, to hear his voice and to know Angel really was there. If he were honest, he'd admit that it scared him to the core. But grasping his senses as quickly as he could, he finally went on with the show.

Back in the motel and present time, Riley continued to review what had occurred. What had he said as the tease line? Riley tried to remember, but couldn't. Something about police and vampires. He grasped his head and laid back onto the bed, heart beating wildly as he distinctly remembered what had happened next.

He had pressed the button and aimed the flowers.

"Boom!"

As soon as he had pressed it, Riley had realised that something was wrong.

.the charge was stronger than he had anticipated.

The windows exploded, glass fell from it down into the street.

.Riley, too late, looked at the settings...

The drapes incinerated and a deafening crackling sound hovered in the air

.they had been set on max.

Mist began to seep out of the charcoal mess that was formally known as the windows.

.He hadn't given them a warning after all. He had sent a blast which could be interpreted as an attack.

The noise stopped as soon as it started, and all that was left was silence. Riley stared at the agency for a second before feeling two emotions. Firstly, he felt pleasure. That blast was sure to kill Angel! If HAG didn't finish him, then the sun would because the room was naked to the burning heat which was now emitting into it. And this would save the hassle of staying in LA for a few days longer, the mission would have been completed with minimum damage to himself, letting Riley and Buffy get on with their lives!! Oh yeah!

Then, Riley felt fear. Angel had been in there with at least one human, and the blast was so extreme that Riley would have certainly killed her too. He was a murderer. The reason he was killing Angel was to protect people, and if he had killed someone else in doing so then he had mucked up badly. To be put mildly.

Numb and scared, Riley stared.

His mind had tried to turn military and rationalise that if someone worked for a demon, they effectively was one and so he was still doing the world a favour, but even Riley couldn't let that one fly. He had killed a human. Nothing would excuse that. Nothing.

And it was at this point that the irritating woman came over to him and Riley eventually learned that Cordelia and Angel- was alive.

Back in the motel, Riley sighed deeply. Damn Cordelia If he wasn't so petrified that he'd lowered himself to Angels level by killing her, he would have been dancing and jiving around the room by now. Instead, he felt funny, weird, different. And now Riley was going to have to deal with a pissed vampire. It *had* looked like an actual attack, not a warning at all. A pretty pathetic attack seeing as it hadn't actually killed Angel. Riley took the voice- distorter out of his mouth and mentally called it his saving grace. At least Angel didn't know that it was him who had attacked, well, he would when it came to their next- and final- confrontation, but for now the vampire was blissfully unaware. And at least Angel would have some degree of fear, not knowing who was watching him.

Maybe the mornings events hadn't been as bad as he had initially thought. Resolved, Riley felt a smile creep across his face as he opened his suitcase and looked at the interesting and painful weapons laying in it. He picked up the cross-bow and set it on the table. Taking the corresponding arrows, he put them in a glass and partly filled it with holy water- his favourite anti-vampire merchandise. He was running out of vials though, he'd better take a trip to the local church and see if he can get some bottles of mineral water blessed. This was plan B. Always need a plan B! Wile E Coyote did.

Riley neglected to remember that Wile E Coyote never actually caught Road-Runner, in fact he was always outsmarted.

*

"You're freaking me out!" Cordelia told Angel bluntly

He was silently sitting at the ashened desk, meditating what to do next. What was scaring his work-mate was that he still was in `vampire mode' with brow curled up, sharp teeth and yellow eyes.

"You'd think I'd be de-sensitised by now, but I'm not"

Angel suddenly blinked and looked at her, those same eyes making contact with her own.

"Sorry, what did you say?" he asked politely

If he didn't have demon features, Cordelia may have found that request courteous and gentlemanly. But not that day. It wasn't anything personal to Angel but every time he put on his game face, he reminded her of Angelus, the vampire without a soul. And having Angelus staring at her was much scarier than having the agency blown up.

She didn't reply, but Angel worked it out by himself. He felt his face.

"Sorry, Cordy. I can't help it, I'm too angry."

"Furious" she added, thinking of her own emotions

"Bitter" he replied

"Devastated"

"Vengeful" Angel whispered to himself, eyes glazed.

Cordelia heard it though

The room turned quiet

She had unsuccessfully been trying not to think about her near-death experience, but it was far too difficult when she was standing on splintered glass which were scratching her shoes, and bruises were forming on her face.

"How do you know it was Riley?" she said at last, the words getting Angels full attention.

"When I picked up the phone, I finally placed the face that I saw last night. It was Riley. The style of today's attack and last nights snooper suits him perfectly too. It was far too sloppy to be professional, and had a sense of style and lone-manship to it which indicated that it was a vendetta based on emotion rather than money"

"Angel. The connoisseur." Cordelia mused. "Its not the first time we've been targeted"

"He wanted to kill me, and he nearly killed you. I'm not gonna ignore that, I can't"

"But Buffys boyfriend? I don't understand, I mean, did she send him? Maybe she resented the flowers, its not coincidence that you surprise her and that Rileys suddenly in town"

Angels face turned back to normal. Cordelia marvelled at the transition.

"It's not coincidence, but no, I don't think she did send him" Angel said firmly "I sent her flowers, not missiles. If she didn't want them, she would have sent them back or something"

"And I suppose she'd have killed you herself, not sent Riley" Cordelia offered

".that too, I guess." Angel shook his head clear "I'm wondering if she even knows he's here"

"Ring her, ask."

Cordelia carefully walked over to her desk to pick up the phone that was sprawled on the floor. Angel shuddered at the noise her shoes were making as she was doing so.

"Here you-" Cordelia picked it up from the floor and it promptly fell apart in her hands. She sheepishly wiped her hands on her skirt.

"I don't think that'd help, I don't know how she'll react"

"So what are you gonna do? Let him kill us again?"

"Of course not"

"Today was close, Angel. And anyway, Buffy'll go spare when she finds out he tried to kill you and she'll deal with it herself- she wouldn't stay with him after this so maybe you two will bump your heads and finally get together"

Angel sighed. That was a wish-case scenario, this was real-life.

"I have four bad choices to pick from. If I confront him, I might. accidentally. kill him in self defence as he's bound to take another shot at me. If I don't do anything, he will try again anyway which would lead to him taking the fight back here and getting you or Wesley killed in he process. If I tell Buffy that her boyfriends here playing action man, she might not believe me. Or if she does believe me, she'll think I taunted him into an attack. Either way, everyone's going to hate me- or be dead."

"Guess we're stuffed then" Cordelia said meaningfully. Suddenly, she turned around and attempted to negotiate her way through the wreckage to the door.

"Where are you going?" Angel called after her

"To your apartment. To ring Buffy. You may be too scared to in case she hates you-"

Angel attempted to interrupt, without much luck

"Don't deny it Angel- but I'm not. She needs to know her boyfriend has gone off the deep end. And I don't know if you know this, but you need her. In more ways than one."

Cordelia closed the door behind her. Angel watched it for a few moments, deep in thought once more.

*

Cordelia picked up the phone and speed-dialled Buffys number.

It just rang.

*

"So where is it?" Buffy had asked when she bounded into Giles apartment at exactly 6:30am with fiery energy.

Giles closed the door behind her.

"You're eager, Buffy" he commented "But we need to prepare first."

"Exactly what I was thinking" she replied as she opened the equipment cupboard. She took various items out and put them on the table.

"Where's your cross-bow?"

"In there somewhere."

Giles watched her rummage through the weapons, un-surprised at her enthusiasm but worried that she would be too distracted to kill the K'narli.

"Buffy, can you stop that for a second and look at me?"

She did, slowly.

He picked up a slim, paperback book and showed it to her. It had a simple drawing of a scaly, thin demon on the front with some words written in what looked like Latin.

"From what I can gather, the K'narli has a link with the luna cycle. It requires energy from the full moon before it can hunt, K'narli thrives on it, as the power emitted makes them stronger. It is at this time that the demons are at their peak, which is why it feeds on one day only-"

"-It eats people, right? Flesh and all?"

Giles nodded.

"And because it can only eat one night a month, it hibernates for the rest, waiting for the moon. I expect it is in a cave near the sea as it is an agile swimmer and usually takes its victims from the water-"

"-So it's in Sunnydale for a moon-lit feast, which is about two days from now. Got it. Lets go"

"Buffy, you need to prepare, know its weaknesses. This very demon ferociously killed at least thirty people from a nearby town, it won't be an easy fight"

"How hard can it be? You said yourself, it's only strong once a month, so it'll take one minute out of my day to kill it"

"Because its Sunnydale" he muttered with a `you should know this' tone. "Although the full moon isn't here yet, its only days away. Hellmouth energy will have magnified the link. The closer it gets to the day, the added strength the demon will have. It may be strong enough to fight even you at this very moment"

Buffy sat down and sighed deeply.

"Sorry, Giles. You're right, I need to stay focused, but its getting hard. There's just so much on my mind and so much to deal with." Buffy felt tears coming to her eyes, so shook her head and wiped them quickly. The last thing she needed right now was sympathy.

Giles considered giving it, but from Buffys look realised she didn't want any.

"We need to work out where the demon is" Giles said instead. "How many caves are there near the beach?"

"Well, not too many. I know that area pretty well though, me and Angel once found a fire-demons nest in one. A pretty big cave, maybe it's hiding there?"

"Possible, should we check it out?"

"Sounds like a plan" Buffy said, regaining her perkiness. She returned to the cupboard. "Where did you say the cross-bow was?"

***

A few hours later, Buffy and Giles were patrolling the beach, the latter carrying a large bag that was concealing weapons, and the former holding a basic stake. It was bizarre for Buffy to be hunting during the day, the majority of bad-guys she fought in the darkness of the night.

Buffy had tried to call Angels' office in that time, but the operator had claimed the number was unavailable. This worried her, but was trying not to think about it, maybe something trivial had happened. Anyway, she'd be seeing him in the flesh later that day.

Fingers crossed.

Buffy stopped and pointed to a cliffy area overhanging the beach.

"Up there?" Giles gawked "Why don't you check the caves further along the beach? It's far too high for the demon to get to, let alone you"

"Exactly. If I was a demon needing sea, moon and safety, I'd go up there. I'm betting my monopoly money the demon has found an apartment to cater its needs"

"Safety isn't a word I'd describe to use it"

Buffy gave him a look, then proceeded to climb a few rocks.

"What about your weapons?" Giles called after her.

Buffy stopped and looked back at him.

"They'd be too heavy to carry with me, I don't want to risk falling. I'd have preferred the crossbow, but I suppose this will have to do" she said, indicating to the simple stake she carried.

"To the heart, like a vampire?"

"You'd be surprised how many things can be killed that way" Buffy replied, feeling a mild sense of Déjà vu

"But a stake?!"

Buffy couldn't really explain it, but she always felt more confident with a stake in her hand than anything else. It was like a comfort thing, a blankey.

Giles gave up. Buffy was pretty resourceful when it came to it, and the weapons would weigh her down. He'd insisted on taking them, though. He made a mental note to take her advice, next time.

He waved to her to indicate that he was O.K with it, then sat down on a rock and watched the tide come in.

Buffy whispered thank-you to him and continued up the cliff path. It was a rocky track, obviously not meant to be taken by tourists. She passed a graffited `Danger, keep out' sign with a slight shake of the head. The paint wasn't there the last time she'd been there. Whether it was grey area or not, people could never resist going through a restricted boundary. She wondered how many teenagers had secretly climbed these very rocks and nearly lost their lives by losing their grip. At least her and Angel could risk it, being slayer and vampire. She wouldn't take Riley here, that was for sure. And she never would, now that she was going to break up with him. She quietly made her way past some of the rocks blocking the path to the rest of the cliff, where the cave would be. She stopped for a second and glanced down at the sea, which was a sharp drop underneath. She idly remembered how Angel had slipped as he was negotiating a jump to the next rock, and how she herself had held onto his hand and lifted him back up. He wasn't even embarrassed, like the typical man would be, he was grateful. Not that he'd have died or anything though, but he would have found it difficult to find his way back up. They'd kissed deeply when they reached the cave, as if their lives were perfect. Ironic or not, her life always was when her and Angel could shut everything else out.

Buffy briefly felt a surge of anger when she remembered Graduation, and how he just left. She hadn't forgiven him just yet, but she would in an instant if he wanted her back in his life. Memories, good and bad, flooded her mind with every step to the cave. When at last she reached it, she knew that she'd found her demon.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a winner"

Good instincts.

She cautiously walked forward and glanced into the darkness. She couldn't see anything, but the skeleton of a human slumped outside was enough proof to Buffy that the K'narli was inside. Or a rather large vulture. She tried not to look at the remains, but her eyes drifted to it involuntarily. The bones weren't kitchen clean cut, she could still see bits of skin and hair stuck to them. Her stomach made disgusted moans, and Buffy turned away, convinced she was going to be sick. If it was spotless, she felt she would have been able to cope better because she could pretend that the body was stolen from the science lab or something. It was disturbing to know that the same body was only walking around a few days before. She was going to get this thing. One way or another, she would be the only thing walking back out of the cave alive.

She took her first few steps into it, stake raised. And she was plunged into darkness.

She heard a growl from deep inside the cave.

Not a bear howl though.

Gradually her eyes adjusted to the darkness enough so that she could see. She glanced back at the bright entrance, interested at the contrast.

"Come on. I have to get to LA by tonight" she whispered.

She was going to walk into the sunnier side of the cave for an advantage, when the K'narli suddenly attacked.

It jumped on her, pushing her to the ground. She shouted out in surprise, but the demon only replied with squeaking and growling. It was trying to bite into her, and it took all of Buffys strength just to keep its head away from her body. She held it away, ensuring it couldn't touch her.

`If this is pre-moon, it must be a monster on the day' she thought to herself as she grappled with it.

She still had her stake, but she was having difficulty using it. The demon was greasy, like a fish. She was finding it hard just to keep its teeth away by holding its head with both hands, let alone be able to stake it. Then an enormously gross thing happened. She felt its tongue lick her. She regained her vision to find a massive tongue hanging out of its snarling mouth.

"Wonder how many times you've bitten that" she said, struggling to get the demon off of her, but its slimy hands held fast. The tongue suddenly disappeared back into its mouth as its teeth resurfaced and it had another try at biting her.

"Not that many then" she answered herself. She gripped her stake tightly, then swiftly brought her right hand away from holding its face and stabbed it through the chest before the demon could move its teeth closer.

Damn, too low, she'd caught its stomach. Better than nothing, though.

It howled in pain, got off of her and darted towards the entrance

"Hey!" Buffy shouted after it "You've have my stake!"

The demon jumped towards the open air, intending to plunge into the sea, but Buffy managed to tackle it and swing it back into the cave. It did, and snapped into a wall.

"Yes!" Buffy shouted to herself. She was finding herself oddly psyched by this encounter.

She rushed at the demon, hoping for an advantage while it was still down, but it slipped out if her fingers and ran to the other side of the cave, grunting.

"I haven't got all day to play `tag', you know" Buffy said. Not much point making comments, the demon didn't have an English translator.

They circled each other for a few minutes, no-one making the first move.

The K'narli was obviously too worked up to escape now. It drooled and snarled at Buffy, indicating it was hungry and lustful to kill. The stake still protruded from its stomach, and blue blood was seeping out.

Buffy suddenly rushed at it and pushed it onto the ground, extracting the stake and rolling away from it in one move. She stood up with a quick graceful stance. The demon too stood up again, angry.

"Hey, I did you a favour" Buffy taunted it "Like the person who took the thorn out of the lions foot. You know that story?"

The demon growled deeply and crouched on all fours, readying itself to bull into her.

Buffy remained in her battle stance.

It ran at her, she grabbed it as it came and they both flew across the cave and hit the floor with an impact. Buffy, on top by now, punched it across the face. The demon kicked her stake away, knocked her over, and its tongue protruded again.

She kicked it back with her legs, causing the demon to grunt in pain.

Buffy stood, and laid into it again, punching and kicking with full force.

"I..Haven't.Got.All.Day!" she screeched at it. She quickly ran to the stake and picked it back up, grasping it hard. She returned, ready for the kill. The demon suddenly retaliated and kicked her feet from under her with one of its spindly legs. It back-flipped and was up once more.

Buffy rushed at it, stake raised. As she came, it grabbed her by the throat and tossed her over it, landing her body on a slab of rock with a large crack. She automatically reached behind her and grabbed its arms, throwing it onto her with much the same style.

It landed with a screech, smiling with its teethy grin directed at her as it lay on top of her body. Then it grimaced, jolted, and laid still. Its tongue re-portuded and fell onto Buffys face.

"Ugh!" she mumbled, pushing the demon off of her, which revealed the stake she had held above her own chest, where it had met the demons own heart.

Buffy stood up and wiped herself down. She wiped her face where the tongue had landed and looked at her clothes. She couldn't see very well in the dark corner she was standing in, but she had a feeling they were covered in blue demon blood.

Grr. No-one ever paid the dry cleaning bills.

At least K'narli demon blood couldn't infect people, she had ensured this before she came. All in all, it was a good fight. She felt psyched, and was finally free to go to LA.

Shakily, covered in battle wounds, she slowly walked out of the cave. Looking at the rocky, slippery path, she didn't rate her chances making it back in one piece. One wrong step and she'd crash down like a.well a rock.

She glanced around and down into the deep water drop beneath her.

If she wouldn't risk walking across the rocks, she could jump into the ocean on her own terms.

Dare she?!

She walked back into the cave, turned around and ran towards the drop, much like the demon had earlier. Just when she reached the edge, she leapt across the air. Time almost stood still as she glided across the sky, until suddenly, she fell into the water with a magnificent dive.

Enjoying the bliss of swimming in the sun, she felt revitalised. She swam back to the shore, where Giles was holding a sandwich in his hands, open-mouthed and numb with shock.

She walked, soaking, across the hot beach. A massive smile on her face.

"Hey." She said off of Giles' expression. "Like I can't mix business with pleasure"

She picked up the bag of weapons and they began to walk home.

She had a overnight case to collect before she headed to LA to see Angel.

And maybe a shower too, to get all the sea-weed out of her hair.

**

The sun had set a few hours earlier, and with every minute that passed, Riley became uneasy. He had refrained from patrolling that night, choosing to stay in and conserve his energy for the big showdown he had planned with Angel the next day.

But he couldn't sleep, he was too excited, nervous and worried. Instead, Riley tossed and turned in his bed for a few minutes more, worrying and thinking and breaking into sweat.

Sleep, damn it!

In the end, he settled with using the image of Buffy as a pacifier. He let his mind think only of her, and with that sweet feeling, he fell asleep.

*

The burning smell lingered in his dreams before a deep growl woke Riley up. He yawned and glanced at his clock. Past midnight. Then, he looked at his bed sheets in shock, a small, wispy trail of a baby fire had started , and it was rapidly multiplying in size.

Riley screamed. He kicked his blanket off of him and ran to the door to escape. It was bolted shut.as if the door was blocked from the other side- shaking the handle, bashing into the door, *nothing* he did moved it.

He glanced back at the bed to the fire that had grown. The flames licked the material like a lolly-pop.

Riley ran to the window and tried to shift it open, but, like the door, it wouldn't budge.

Riley turned again to face the blazing bed, wondering if tap water would put it out.

He was going to burn.

Suddenly, a bucket of water poured over the bed and killed the fire clean out. Smoke bunged up the room, and a figure stepped out to reveal himself. Riley intook a sharp breath of air.

He was face to face with a pissed off Angel.

"Angel!" Riley gasped, then proceded to choke on the fumes.

The vamp walked over to the window and with one pull, opened it to let the smoke out and air in.

Angel shook his head. "I don't get it. How can you take out an entire building but can't even stop a small fire?"

Riley glanced at the crossbow which was sitting on the table near him. He if he could only walk over and grab it.

Angel noticed what the boy was thinking, but didn't bother to warn him.

"Sorry about the floor-show" Angel said, leaning out the window with his back to Riley. "It was too tempting. And the bucket of water came in handy, didn't it?"

Angel turned back to the room which stopped Riley in his tracks. He was standing right at the table at this point, but wanted to wait for the right moment before grabbing his secret weapon.

It suddenly dawned on Riley that Angel was referring to the bucket of holy water he had prepared for the next day. There went plan B.

"How'd you get in?" he asked

"Through the window" Angel muttered "Oh, didn't you know? Vampires can walk into motel rooms"

"Colour me stunned" Riley said monotonously

"Why did you do it? Why are you stalking me?"

Riley looked square into his eyes. This was it, time to show the vamp that Riley Finn was a fierce opponent, not some joke to be laughed at.

"Tell me Riley"

"Because you're a monster" he said with conviction.

"I was a monster, Riley. And I'm trying to atone for it, to make amends"

"You've killed thousands, you should be dead. You could wake up tomorrow a killer again if you get some the night before"

Angel drew himself up and stood tall. Riley backed up slightly, voice trembling involuntarily.

"You're a killer, Angelus. My job is to stop demons like you. I'm going to kill you for the memories of everybody you've tortured and maimed and to stop you now from killing again before the bodies pile up once more"

"Aren't you a righteous soul" Angel spat. "Use you're head, Riley. If I'm the threat you paint me to be, you'd be a wall decoration by now, not breathing in and out"

"You set my room on fire, that proves you're still a sadistic bastard"

"What can I say? You bug me."

Riley gave a satisfied smile and slyly leant his hand onto the table.

"I'm trying to help other people now. You need to wake up and realise that things aren't always clear and marked, there are grey areas as well. I'm a vampire with a soul. I'm trying to redeem myself from the past"

"You're a demon, you can't have that luxury of putting things right"

"Angelus was the monster, I was like a vessel"

"You still are. What is it, one happy smile and you turn killer? I don't like those odds"

"Not my choice"

"That's why I'm making one for you"

Angel took a step closer, eyes drenched in anger

"So what gave you the choice over Cordelia's life?"

Riley gave a quizzed look

"You're a monster too, Riley. Cordelia nearly died today. What did she do to deserve that? What made her the exception to your military life preserver rules?"

Riley had though about that earlier, but had reasoned with himself that he hadn't done wrong. He felt the crossbow and held onto it tight. Ready for action.

"Because she works with a demon" he replied steadily.

Angel violently jumped over the bed, grabbed Riley by the throat and pushed him back against the wall, game face on. Riley lost his grip on the crossbow and it fell onto the floor with a loud clutter.

Riley gasped with lack of oxygen, but managed to splutter the word;

"Monster"

Angel leaned in close to his ear, making Riley think he was going to be bitten and die.

"You have no right to be here, Riley. You're weak and pathetic and will die a lonely man"

"You're wrong" Riley choked "I'll haveBuffy"

Angel instantly let go of him and took a step backwards. Riley gained his composure and grinned. Angel glared at him.

"You don't care about my past. I should have realised. You came here to kill me for her" Angel said, in disbelief

"It's one reason of many. I want her back to normal- since her visit here a few months ago about Faith, and your subsequent return to Sunnydale, she's been different. You've bewitched her. Without you in her life, she can live it in peace. You've destroyed everything you've touched, Angelus. I want to salvage Buffys sanity before you claim that too"

It cut to the core. Angel continued to glare with his yellow eyes.

"I hope she thanks you, or doesn't she know you're here playing action man? Because I know her soul better than anyone, and she would never have spent all the years we were together, done so much for me- and us- if she wanted me dead."

"No, she won't know. A secret, between you and me. Well.this time tomorrow.just me"

A kid playing spy games, Angel thought disgustedly. No need to tell commando boy here that Cordelia was tracking Buffy down, the savage would probably go after her as well.

"Go home Riley"

"After you're dust" he responded

"I'm not going to fight you" Angel muttered

"Still trying to prove yourself `golden boy' to Buffy? Fine, I'll just kill you without the bloodshed"

With that, Riley attempted to punch Angel in the face. The vampire caught it before it made impact, and swung Riley round so the arm was in a breakable position behind his back.

"Didn't say I wouldn't defend myself though" Angel hissed into his ear.

Riley squirmed free and raced to his cupboard. Angel was having a hard time deciding whether to fight and possibly kill this guy or not. Riley was only interested in Angel himself, so he posed little threat to others, but he did nearly kill Cordelia and if he got away with this he might turn vigilante on everyone anyway.

Riley took a grenade from the drawer and pulled the pin out.

A smoke bomb

"See you soon" he said, as he threw it at Angel

The grenade exploded and the room rapidly filled with fog. Angel jumped out the window and guarded it until the room cleared. When he looked in, he found the room empty. Riley had slipped past him, and was long gone by now. He punched his hand into the wall in anger. What else could he have expected? Riley to say `ok now you've told me off I'll go home'? The kid was bitter, and in some sort of obsessive love. He was doing it for Buffy, however bizarre his actions. Angel sighed deeply. He too knew about making decisions for Buffy, but he also knew they backfired in the end. Like his decision over the lost day, and how he hadn't talked to her about his plan beforehand.

What a mess. Now Riley was going to go on a rampage, and Angel still had reservations about fighting him as he was sure he would accidentally (or not) kill him. He hoped that Cordelia had reached Buffy by now, seeing as she couldn't earlier. Although he didn't want to do this to her, Buffy needed to know what psycho-boy was doing. And to be truthful, he needed Buffys help against Riley. Together, maybe they could think of a plan to stop Riley from trying to kill him, or at least restrain the kid until another plan of action came up.

Angel had many peoples deaths on his conscience, he didn't want to add another one to the list, especially apre-Angelus.

He walked back to the agency.

*

Riley ran into the church and closed the door behind him.

Safe here.safe here.safe here.

He puffed with exhaustion and laid down on one of the pews.

Safe here..safe here.safe here.

After half an hour of repeating his mantra, he opened his eyes determinedly and stood up, ready to leave his sanctuary. He had to stop Angel that night, or it would have all been to no use. Stop him before he called Buffy. Unless it was too late. He could always manufacture some lie if that was the case, but the less damage control the better.

Kill the demon. Slit its throat. Let it bleed.

Riley headed back for his motel room, he needed his weapons because tonight, Angel would die

*

Buffy excitedly sprinted through the streets of LA towards Angels apartment, wondering how to bring the words `I love you' into their conversation when she found him.

"Hi Angel, just thought I'd drop by to say."

"Angel, I have something to tell you."

"I love you, honey."

"I know things have been strange between us recently."

"I'm hollow without you, Angel. I've tried to live with your decision, but I can't. I won't. I love you, and I want to spend my life with you. Do you still love me?"

Bingo. But with every road she crossed, she could imagine his reaction, something along the lines of `go away'.

She had only been to the agency/apartment a few times but she knew her way around LA pretty well. She turned a corner into the familiar road and began walking in the direction of the building Angel lived in.

Suddenly, her slayer senses picked up something. Glancing around, she noticed a darkly dressed figure hiding outside the apartment, watching it intently.

A stalker. She had to warn Angel. The stalker would be sure to see her if she walked to the door, but if she sneaked into the apartment she could warn Angel about the shadowy figure, giving him the upper hand.

Maybe they could fight the guy together.

Buffy took a few quiet steps back and made her way to the nearest sewer tunnel, an easy way to get into the building without anyone knowing. That's how Angel managed to travel the city during the day.

"Just hope Angel has a cold when I declare my love for him" she whispered to herself to calm her nerves as she climbed down into it.

*

Angel picked up a few more pieces of debris and put them in the black sack he had propped up to the side of the agency room. He and Cordelia had spent most of the day tidying up, but Angel still had miles to go before dawn. And he needed to keep busy anyway, the stuff with Riley and Buffy was something he didn't want to dwell on. When Riley made his move, maybe he'd have come to a decision about how to deal with fighting the guy. He wondered if Cordy had finally reached Buffy yet or not, neither of them wanted to go through Giles or Willow about this before speaking to Buffy first, but the last he'd checked in with Cordy, Buffy hadn't been at home all day.

He didn't hear the door creak open.

"There's a guy stalking you. Oh my god!" gasped a familiar voice in surprise.

Angel turned to see Buffy standing in the doorway.

"What happened here?" she asked

Shocked, Angel held himself up with the table to prevent from falling over.

"Buffy! I.uh. Cordelia never said she reached you"

"Why would she?"

"You're not here about the explosion?"

"Woah..back-track about ten paces here" Buffy said, confused."You were trying to reach me?"

"Uh-huh."

"Why?"

Time to tell her. She'd either be angry, in disbelief or shocked.

"I don't know how to tell you this, Buffy, but Riley is here. In LA."

"What? Don't be crazy, he's in Iowa" she stuttered

"He did this" Angel pointed to the room "In some twisted love decision for you. He tried to kill me and nearly killed Cordelia"

Buffy felt for a table to lean on herself.

"I don't understand." she mumbled

She could forgive the lies Riley spouted, she'd done the same, but her boyfriend (a former before she knew this but former *underlined* now) had sneaked to LA and decided to kill Angel? Why? What crazy mind did he have in thinking she'd love him for it? Appreciate it? Even more, what crazy notion did he have in thinking he could do it? Lies, betrayal and murder. And that was before she brought the topic of love into the conversation.

"Maybe I should have gotten used to my weird life by now, but that has knocked me for six. God I should have known" she said, defeated.

"I'm sorry. Cordelia has been trying to contact you all day. I had a confrontation with him earlier, but he only wants to kill me and wasn't in a `lets discuss our grievances' kind of mood"

"Have you fought him?"

"No" Angel said, hurt at the implication "I've been trying not to, but he wants to. Because I won't go into combat, he's got the upper hand. Thought maybe you could help me decide what to do, which was why we tried to reach you"

"I don't believe this...god he's outside here right now"

"What?"

"I came here to warn you, some guy outside was watching the place. How could I have been so gullible? He said he was in Iowa.he lied to me"

"I'm sorry" Angel offered again, not sure what else to say.

Buffy must be devastated, she had once told him herself that she trusted Riley. This will break her heart.

"The bastard" Buffy said, venting her anger "What right does he have to decide who lives and dies? I once stole lipstick from a store, guess I should be killed off too. And he's done this for love? God forbid if he hated me."

She turned to Angel.

"I'm so sorry, if I hadn't dated him then he wouldn't have gone psycho and decided to kill you. If he wants a showdown, he's gonna have to deal with me too. Breaking bones is on the allowed list, Angel. He deserves it, the twisted moron"

She wasn't crying, Buffy didn't seem that bothered Riley had lied to her. More concerned for Angel himself. And she didn't know about her boyfriends presence in Los Angeles until he'd mentioned it- something else must have happened to make her come here, and it must have been big because last they'd spoken, they had only just got back onto peaceful ground. Although it was marred by Angel beating Riley up.

"Just a moment. You said you weren't here about him. What's wrong? Has something happened in Sunnydale?"

Uh-oh, what was her scripted line again?

"Because um."

Oh stuff this, talk from the heart.

"Because I love you Angel. When I received those flowers, it opened up a floodgate. All our memories, feelings, they all came back to me."

"I thought you didn't care, you never rang" he said, his heart almost jump started by the revelation.

"I tried this morning, but for the past few days I've been tracking a demon. With Riley in `Iowa', I was going to visit you and find out why you sent them. But then last night, I gave in and succumbed to the fact that I am still in love with you. I always will be. And I don't care what reasons you have to throw at me about why we can't be together. As we can fight it. You and me."

"Buffy I-"

"We've been through too much to not be together. We're soul-mates, Angel. I came here to tell you that *we're* soul-mates"

There was a moments silence.

"Say something" she pleaded

".I love you Buffy" he said, finally. "But nothings changed-"

"Everything's changed." She interrupted, fearing he was going to logic her. "Don't you see that? I've tried life without you, and I don't like it. I cope with it OK, I live it as best I can, but if you're not with me then my world turns bland."

`Amazingly, like someone whose lost their one true love.' She thought.

"I've learnt a lot over this past year, and the main thing is that I should never have let go of you"

"I'm a vampire, Buffy"

"I know that. I'll die some day, and we can't make love to each other yadder yadder, it doesn't mean we can't find a way to beat these things. That's the mistake we made, we didn't even try. Willow is dating another Wicca, Tara, who may be able to find a way to turn you human or amend your curse clause- I think they can help you. If you'll give us the chance"

"Do you think I deserve that? I can't turn human simply for us, it's not right. I have to do that the long way."

Angel sighed deeply.

" When I first met you, I fell in love. When we first kissed, I knew that I couldn't ever imagine life without you again. But then I turned killer on you- Buffy we were dogged with problems before we even found out that I could never be happy without risking my soul, and now we both know I can never give you what you want, a happy relationship"

"So why did you send me flowers?"

"That was selfish of me. I couldn't resist, but I should have. It was unfair of me"

"No" Buffy whispered, drawing herself closer to him "We're soul-mates. You were compelled to send them like I was compelled to come here because of them. Tell me you love me"

"I just did-"

"Say it again, as I love you Angel, and even if you reject me, I always will"

Another moment of silence. Buffy waited, tears flowing down her cheeks, for Angel to finally break it.

"I love you Buffy. It's wrong, but I can't help myself."

"That's what I needed to hear" Buffy said, elated. She breathed a sigh of deep relief, and in doing so releasing the air she had unknowingly been holding in her mouth all through that silence.

Angel relaxed too, now that he'd admitted the truth, the pain had lessened immensely.

"Over this past year," he continued, "I've learned things about myself too. Stuff has happened, stuff you don't know about but deserve to know. You're right, Buffy. Without you, life has always been meaningless. I never lived until I met you, and I died when I left you. Its been worse than being in hell, to be so far away from you- spiritually as well as physically.."

"I need to know Angel. Will you try again? Tara will help us, we can be together"

"I have something to tell you."

"Sorry, I interrupted"

Angel remembered the last time he put her hopes up, and the look she gave him before the Oracles took back those twenty-four hours.

".You know that there are Slayer prophecies? There's a prophecy about me as well"

"Well we can break it, its been done before" she said enthusiastically "They keep trying to pry us apart, but we can beat them. Always"

"I'm hoping that this isn't gonna be the kind of prophecy to break."

"A happy prophecy? I've never heard of one of those before" Buffy commented

Angel smiled. No matter what happened in their lives, she always made him smile.

"If I continue fighting against demons, one day I will shanshu, become human"

"Angel."

"I want to turn human the righteous way. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. I'm not going to search for a spell to turn human, because if I fulfil my destiny, then I won't need to"

Buffy absorbed the information and was contented with what he said, although he had given a vague answer to her query.

"You never answered my question"

For his answer, Angel leant over and kissed her passionately with a depth of an ocean. She was his rock, without her he crumbled into nothing. She may have thought that she needed him to survive, but he needed her more. Soul-mates, their love was eternal. They weren't slaves to passion, they were representatives of pure love. It was meant to be, no matter how they followed the path.

They pulled back for air, and Angels smile turned into a large grin. Buffy mirrored it with her own, one soul reflected into two bodies.

"I take it you mean you want to wait to turn human. That might take years"

"While I'm a vampire, I can still fight those wars I'm foretold for, save peoples lives"

"Not just you, us. Can Tara at least find a spell to take the `no happiness' item out of your curse? As at this rate, you're going to need it" she said, indicating to how his eyes beamed a happiness that only she in the whole world could have given him.

His eyes also beamed a sadness, which allayed any fears of the two that he would turn into Angelus again. It took the physical side of love to unleash the beast. As Xander had once said, which she had overhead one day, as long as they don't get pelvic, they'll be alright. At least, they wouldn't get pelvic until the curse was amended. After that. hey! They had at least three years of pent up desire to make up for. She cold barely wait for that day, and a previous conversation that she had once had with Willow let her know that making Angels soul permanent was entirely probable, say 98%?

"Can Tara help me? Is it possible?" Angel asked, daring to believe.

"Yes"

One word, so many positive emotions attached to it. Buffy put her arms around his body and kissed him again. His hands gripped her own body with the same intensity.

Bliss, scorching hot bliss.

He leaned her over the charcoaled table, caught up in the moment.

Suddenly, the door burst open which brought them out of their world.

"Buffy?"

She looked up from her position on the table to find Riley at the doorway, loaded with Initiative weapons, bags and memorabilia.

"You whore!" he screeched, aiming the gun at her head.

PART ELEVEN

"BUFFY!"

Angel quickly yanked her off the table just as Riley fired the gun, blasting a bullet deep into the wood where her head would have been.

Buffy watched this, astounded. He'd really tried to kill her.

"Riley, I.who are you?"

A slayer was supposed to die fighting big scary demons, not with a bullet from a spurned boyfriend.

"After everything we've done together, and what I was going to do for you, I find you here, with him?" Riley shouted, tears streaming down his face and trigger hand shaking violently.

Buffy mentally flashed back to her fight with Darla from a few years before and couldn't help but notice similarities.

"Give me the gun" she said, her hand outstretched.

Riley would have bitten it, he was so angry. Fortunately, he wasn't close enough.

"You're a lying bitch, Buffy Summers. I gave you my *heart* and you betrayed me for a demon? It's perverted and sick. You supposed to kill vampires, not sleep with them. "

"Riley, we don't have to use violence-" Angel began to reason, but Riley simply turned on him and shot him three times in the stomach with the revolver, flipped up a laser gun from the floor where he'd laid his stuff, aimed it and pressed fire.

The laser gun spurted out continuous a white light.

Angel tried to stay upright from the bullets, but the laser gun had hit him full on the body, and propelled him back across the room. He hit his head on the table. Riley kept his finger on the button, enjoying the glorious feeling he had from hurting Angel more than anything he'd ever experienced.

"Angel!" Buffy shouted, trying to get near him, but was pushed away by some sort of magnetic field.

"Come on honey, don't over-react" Riley laughed "I'm not killing him.yet"

"Bastard" Buffy snarled, jumping towards Riley to try and wrestle the gun from him. But he was so far away that he saw the move coming and aimed the gun at Buffy instead.

Angels body contorted from the extreme pain he'd just been put though.

Buffy was only about to find out how much pain it was.

She flew back mid-air with the impact and fell on the floor. The laser felt like one thousand needles, pricking into her skin and as cold as ice water, a pain that wouldn't go away. Her body screamed in agony.

"Riley..stop it" she croaked as she felt her life force being drained out of her.

Riley walked closer, eyes only on the woman he had sacrificed so much for. The woman who had kicked down his dreams. He'd come to Los Angles for her, no-one else but her, to kill the demon who'd caused so much pain in her life. He'd given her love, a warm body to hold onto, infinite companionship, and she had rejected and betrayed all that by coming here for *him*- the demon.

"How long had it been going on?" he screeched, gun still sucking on her, "Weeks? Months? Since we met? Was I a smokescreen for your perverted romance?"

Although he wasn't on the receiving end of the gun, he felt a worse pain watching Buffy be the victim. But she deserved it, he had given her everything. The laser-gun was designed to stop demons in their tracks, it reduced their strength and energy so that they could be fought and captured more easily. When Riley had entered the office, he had intended to catch Angel off-guard by shooting him, then laser-gun him to drain his energy. After that , Riley was going to idly walk over to the barely conscious vamp, and make it watch as he tortured it then staked it to death. Slowly. Very slowly. Like Angel had killed his victims. An eye for an eye, a life for a.well a life. He hadn't expected his girlfriend to be there, much less kissing him.

Poor Buffy, he had idly wondered if she would have succumbed to the Laser guns qualities in the past, but never intended to find out. When he'd sapped her energy, maybe he could take her with him and hold onto her until she woke up to his way of thinking. Find a deserted place in the country. Or maybe he could kill her, and never touch her contaminated body again. Maybe.

Suddenly, Riley was grabbed from behind and pushed onto the floor, dropping the gun as he did so.

Angel pinned him down, vampire face back on, and with the energy he still possessed punched him in the face repeatedly.

Riley managed to push him off and give him a satisfying hit of his own. Angel snarled in pain with the impact as Riley had attached some sort of metal protection weapon onto his knuckles before entering the room, which he had used to ensure the punch made enough damage.

"Without your weapons, you're nothing" Angel grunted as they clawed each other.

"Without your slayer, you'll die" Riley shot back, hitting him again.

Angel managed to sit in a better position on the floor, and roundhouse kicked Riley back, catching him off guard.

"If you kill Buffy, I'll kill you" Angel shouted

"Oh she won't be dying any time soon, trust me"

"When I've pulled out your rib-cage, maybe we'll do the small talk thing" Angel said, finishing the conversation with another punch.

He didn't want to be taunted into a mistake. Riley head-butted him back. Momentarily dazed, Angel let go of his grip.

Riley immediately rolled behind the desk to his bag and fished through it for the crossbow, the one he'd stolen from Mr. Giles cupboard.

Angel shakily stood up, pain searing through his skin where the bullets had penetrated. Vampire blood matted his white top. He wasn't going to die from the bullets, but he was weak, and needed to hang on long enough to extract that so-called ribcage. He had to do this before Riley did something to Buffy. She'd be weakened too, as the gun had been on her longer.

He carefully walked round the desk where he saw Riley go, ready to attack. He wiped his brow and tried to keep his mind working.

Buffy drew herself up from her corner and began crawling to the desk herself.

Riley quickly stood up like a lightening bolt from his hiding spot, taking Angel off guard. Riley smiled cruelly.

Buffy crouched up, close beside Angel. Neither men saw her.

"I wanted it to be slow, but I'm on a time plan right now. Say hi to Adam for me" Riley said, aiming the arrow at Angels heart with one arm, and firing.

Time to die.

The arrow flew mid-air, when a slender hand suddenly reached up from no-where and grabbed it clean out of the sky.

"What the-" Riley exclaimed.

Buffy had stopped the arrow from killing Angel. That wasn't supposed to happen.

Buffy looked down at the arrow in her hand, a bleeding cut from one side to the other, then slowly turned to face Riley.

`See what I can do?' she thought, displaying those feelings I the way that she stood.

His face had drained of all colour. He'd never known anything like it before, she was quicker than a bullet, had stopped the arrow half way through its journey like she was idly picking a video out of a rental store. Angel barely a metre away, it took her a split second to pluck it out of the air. Riley gasped with fear and took a few steps back to the door. If this was half-power, what was the Slayers full power? She was strong, but how much?

"You alright Angel?" Buffy asked, eyes still on Riley.

"I'm tallying my near death experiences" he replied, eyes less glazed and energy beginning to build again. "Think maybe I'm celebrating my hundredth. Thank-you" he whispered to her, for saving his life, a message from the heart.

Buffy took a step closer to Riley.

"I never got to say it before, with the stun gun and all, but you're dumped, Riley. Get out of our lives, as we don't want you in them"

Riley grimaced in anger

"You cheated me. Don't forget that"

"It's your choice- we can either leave this room and not see you again, discuss whose to blame until we get bored or continue blowing each other brains out. My little finger" she said, indicating to it "could kill you quicker than it'd take for you to answer me, Riley. You know I'd win, so go home, back to Iowa"

Riley pointed at her with his own finger.

"I loved you, Buffy, enough to kill. Doesn't that show how much you meant to me?"

"It shows unhealthyness. You need help"

Riley drew himself up.

"I'd rather die"

As sharp as a hare, he began to run towards Buffy and Angel. They easily pulled away from being hit into, but as Riley raced by, he grabbed for Buffy's hand, intending to drag her with him. However, the knuckle-weapon on his hand caught on Angels coat instead, pulling the vamp away rather than his ex girlfriend. Angel didn't get a chance to stop him, surprised and aching, he was dragged behind Riley.

Riley jumped through the windowless drapes and out into the street, Angel flailing behind him.

He had not forgotten that this was the second floor.

Riley wasn't Buffy, he didn't fly through the air with grace. He abruptly fell and plummeted to the ground.

"ANGEL!" Buffy screamed, running to the window and looking down into the road.

She quickly climbed out of the window and searched for the drainpipe. Holding onto it lightly, she painfully slipped down it, with her badly scratched hand being used for support. When she landed on the floor, she ran over to the two figures lying in the road.

Riley, blood spouting from his upper lip and bruises patching his face, was lying on top of Angel. the vampire had broken the fall.

She pushed Riley off of him and held Angels limp body in her arms, supporting his head. She cradled him in the road, numb and with brutal fear in her eyes.

Could vampires really die like that? Could Angel be dead?

"Honey, wake up" she begged him- soothingly, pleadingly, scared as hell. After everything they'd been through, would fate really take him away here and now?

"Cookie Dough Fudge Mint Chip" he mumbled, moving his head slightly.

He opened his eyes.

Buffy almost screamed with her relief. She bent over and kissed him.

"I thought you were dead" she whispered, brushing his hair.

"Just had my one hundred and first NDE" Angel choked, sitting up.

"We need to get those bullets out" Buffy said, reaching to his stomach

"I'm OK, it doesn't hurt anymore. I just need some tweezers and I'll be alright."

From Buffys concerned face, he added "I've had a lot of practice, it's fine"

"Better do that in a minute then"

"Is Riley still alive?"

She glanced towards the ground where she'd pushed Riley and noticed it was empty.

"Yeah, and he's gone"

"Is that good or bad?" Angel asked

"I don't know."

They both stood up, Angel much easier than Buffy expected.

"Weren't you hurt by the drop?"

"I'm a vamp" he explained "it hurts less than if Riley was the one breaking the fall"

"Lucky I wasn't then" said a broken voice

The lovers turned to see Riley, who was standing a few metres away from them.

"I'm ready to kick some more ass" Angel said calmly, glaring at the kid

"I haven't had my go yet" Buffy pouted.

She lightly squeezed Angels arm, strided over to Riley and immediately punched him in the face. He stumbled back slightly but just regained his composure and lifted his head back into the air.

"Want to know if I ever held back on my strength?" she asked, punching him again "Well here's your answer."

She would have broken his neck if he tried to fight back, but he seemed to have realised that he wouldn't win because he just stood there, accepting the hits.

She moved her hand to her hip, trying to control herself so she wouldn't do it again until she was ready, eyes streaming with tears.

"We could have been such great friends"

Riley just stared at her for a few moments. He reached out his hand for her face, as if he was going to wipe her tears, but seeing Buffy's hands clench into fists, moved it back down.

"The next time I meet you, I'll kill you. That's a promise" he said calmly instead, and walked away. He didn't look back.

They watched him go in silence.

His departure relieved the lovers spirits, and they hugged each other for comfort.

"You think he means that?" Angel mused, wiping her eyes himself.

"I think he does.but I don't think he will"

"He doesn't threaten very well, does he?"

"You'd better go inside before the sunrise" Buffy commented, glancing at the sky.

Angel linked her arm with his and they walked back into the building.

"What made him turn so crazy?" she asked after a beat.

"I don't know, Buffy. Maybe he's always been like that"

"There were clues, but I never really thought he could do any harm. God, what a crazy mess"

"But we got out of it OK" Angel smiled

"Yeah, we did" Buffy agreed

"If you hadn't came."

"I was going to anyway. It was a coincidence that my declaration of love coincided with my boyfriends vendetta weekend. Anyway, Riley being here just saved me the trouble of ringing Iowa" she joked, although she felt maybe it was too soon to laugh about what had just happened.

Riley had tried to kill them. If they hadn't worked together, as one, he would have shot her and staked Angel. Demons used their skills, and humans used weapons. Both were as deadly as the other. Buffy made a mental note to burn the Initiative gear that Riley had left in the agency. In case he came back.

"You think I should warn someone about him?" Buffy asked, worried

"We'd better ask Giles when we get back to Sunnydale."

"We?"

"I don't know about you, but I need a holiday" Angel laughed.

"Sunnydale isn't the exactly the place to go if you need a break, you know"

"But you're there" he replied with a sweet empathises on*you're*.

"Now where were we before we got rudely interrupted?" she asked, lightening the mood even further with sparkly eyes.

They opened the door into the Angel Investigations office and surveyed he extra mess that was added onto the previous lot.

Typical, he and Cordy had spent all day tidying it just to have Riley come in and vague the room up once again.

"Apartment?" Angel asked, suggesting they continue their reunion in better surroundings.

3"Apartment" Buffy confirmed, making a grossed out face regarding the office.

They shut the door behind them and raced each other down the stairs, laughing and enjoying being together.

True love wins, after all.

PART 12- EPILOGUE

SIX MONTHS LATER

Angel made his last snip on Buffy's blond hair and stood back to marvel at his masterpiece.

He'd cut her hair. Who said vampires weren't good stylists?

Buffy stared into the mirror facing her. She wondered whether she should tell the truth and say that he should `keep to the day job' or lie and say it was `perfect'.

Her fingers reached up to the wonky fringe and she let out a small laugh.

"Why are you giggling? Is something funny?" Angel demanded, placing the scissors on the table and trying to keep a straight face himself. He knew he hadn't done brilliantly, but thought it was alright.

The Slayer was silently grateful that she'd only agreed he could cut her fringe and not her entire hair. She had made a back-hand comment on how she should book an appointment for the hair-dressers, when out of nowhere he had offered to do it himself. It was a laugh though, and it wasn't as if her own stylist couldn't fix it the next day, after Angel had returned to LA.

"It's wonky" he sighed, staring at the locks.

"It's beautiful" Buffy replied, kissing him deeply. "Like you"

She took his hands and stood up, leading him to her bed.

"We can't do this" Angel laughed "I'm leaving in two hours"

"Ooh, that's not long enough for you?" she teased.

Angel succumbed and pulled her down onto the mattress with him.

***

It had taken three months after their reunion, but Tara finally managed to amend Angels curse, and he could now experience happiness. The soul-mates suspected that the PTB were involved, but Tara and Willow never let on how they came by the right information. In those three short months since the two wiccas had performed the spell, Angel had tasted happiness like an addiction, he was in ecstasy, something he thought he'd never feel again. He was eternally grateful, in fact they both were. Their souls were so far intertwined that now that Angel could be happy, so could Buffy. And she was, a passionate happiness that had engulfed her and Angel whole.

And they loved it.

Angel had stayed in Sunnydale for a few weeks when he first came back with Buffy, helping fight evil there until his office had been restored. He and Buffy now lived in separate cities, but travelled as often as they could to see each other, and they made many business trips to help each other fight against bad guys when needed.

Buffy had her own clothes in LA, in Angels wardrobe. He did the same with her room. He also stocked up on the Cookie-Dough-Fudge- Mint Chip ice-cream that Buffy (and he, when he was human) so liked.

He'd told her about the lost day. He had to, it would have eaten up his soul if he didn't. It was difficult, but he gave the story to Buffy the day after Riley had gone. She was angry and hurt at first, she even asked for time to herself, but before he'd even left the apartment door, she called him back and asked him to tell her everything.

Then she told him that it hadn't changed anything between them, that she understood. She didn't like what he'd decided on that lost day, but pointed out that things had come full circle anyway, and when he shanshu-d they'd work out how to keep him alive and not be beaten into a bloody pulp.

"Xander and Riley are human" she'd said "and they've survived this far"

Angel had retorted by saying that he didn't like being compared to either of them, but she finished the conversation with a kiss.

They kissed a lot.

***

After they made love, Angel held Buffy, asleep, in his arms until he grudgingly had to wake her up. He didn't want to leave, but if he didn't go soon, he'd hit the sun during the drive. And end up as one big fire-ball. Buffy had made one rule for their relationship, that he woke her up if he was going anywhere. He was more than willing to do that, as long as she did the same.

He nudged her gently.

"Stay one more day" she said, snuggling against him.

"Wesley will kill me if I'm late back. He seems to think that one of these days I'll stay here and leave him and Cordy to fight by themselves"

"I thought you said business was slow"

"That's the irony. Apart from this week it's been at a standstill"

Buffy stretched her arms and sat up.

"Thanks for coming here to help kill the demon" she said

"No problem, I was tracking it anyway. Cordy did send me"

"That kick you gave it." she giggled

"How about you with your karate like punch? Knocked it unconscious." Angel remembered warmly

"It's an art" Buffy preened

"Sure is"

"You still coming here this weekend? I mean last nights visit was business so its only fair you stick to the plan and return on Friday, whatever Wesley says"

"Wild horses couldn't drag me away" Angel replied sincerely.

He sighed and realised that if he really should get ready to go. He got out of bed and began searching for his white top on the floor.

Buffy leaned over the bed to gather her own clothes so that she could change too.

"Now where did I fling my bra?"

They both looked around the room, and their eyes simultaneously landed at the open window.

"Good throw" Angel quipped, pointing to the tree across the road.

Another long Authors note-Yay! I'm so happy I finished it! According to my file, it's 60 pages long, which is amazing for me. Hope you liked the epilogue, I just wanted to write some pure B/A fluff to finish it off. I'm not sure what story I'm gonna write next, I've got a few ideas I want to start on, but I'm so slow at getting parts out! Anyway, I'm probably gonna do some adventures set in Mr Bond universe so Buffy and Angel are already together, which'll be great as they can fight all the evil dangers with a big smile on their faces, yay!

Thank-you so much for feedback, if I didn't get any I'd have probably stopped the story thinking no-one liked it, so I'm *deeply* grateful for everything everybody's said. If there's anything at all you think I should change in the chapters, please let me know. Especially if I rushed the ending/made it an anticlimax/built it up too much for it to finish like that/made Riley too powerful etc. I wrote the four most important parts within these last two days, its kind of rushed compared to the rest of the story in which I posted every two weeks approx. I loved writing this fic, I really have. Yay, they're together! Sorry if this authors note is a bit funky, I'm on a crazy-happy high!

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