Rating: PG
Summary: Set after Lets Go Get Lost ..I'd love some ideas for a name for the series!! I think there will be 3. :)
Spoilers: The Prom & Graduation - specially the end. Also Lovers Walk I guess.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from "Buffy" or "Angel". Mutant Enemy and FOX do. They aren't sharing, either, so I'm taking the characters from their dollhouses to play with them. They'll be returned soon, and Riley will be locked in the basement, and not come out again until he promises not to touch Buffy.
Notes: This continues after Lets Go Get Lost. Email me for it if you haven't read it.
AlSO: This hasn't been beta read and is very, very, very late. Sorry!! The laptop was being fixed through my dads company which means a 2 month wait! Thanks to Cass! And everyone who feedbacked the first story!
Feedback - IS A MUST!! :) Please, I'm considering re-writing this part, so....

"Stop there!" Buffy cried as Cordelia zoomed past. She turned to look at her.

"What? I couldn't stop, Buffy." She said, accelerating past another 2 cars.

"Cordy! Those were the two buildings we were meant to look at." The brunette slammed on the brakes, but Buffy was ready. After driving all the way to LA from Sunnydale, she could almost predict her next move.

She opened the window and looked out. "Its kind of.old. And that old guy sitting there? He looks creepy. No thankyou, Buffy, lets go back toBeverley Hills and look for a place there."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Cordelia, I really doubt either of us could afford a chair from an apartment there, let alone the whole place. I think this district suits our budget much much more."

The once May Queen gave her a look. "Buffy. You might want to stay in the slummy areas of town, because it's like home, but personally? I'd rather live somewhere that I can open my windows and walk to get milk without worrying about a stray bullet."

"I'm the Slayer, Cordy, I think I can handle my own around here." Buffy said, grinning.

Cordelia nodded. "Yeah, sure! You can fight but what about me? My experience of fighting so far was playing commandos while you were off waitressing in LA that summer, and I was bait!"

Buffy burst out laughing. "You were bait? Let me guess, Xander put you up to that?"

She nodded and swerved to avoid a car. "Who else would be dumb enough to do that, do you think?"

They sat in silence for a moment as they drove past a club that was advertising an opening night. Cordelia looked over at Buffy. "So, Buffy, that looks Bronzy, mildly entertaining and cool. Think we can skip a night of pretending we're over our boyfriends to party?"

The Slayer grinned. "Skip a night of you whining about my clothes? You're on, Chase."

"We'd better go shopping first, cause we have nothing to wear."

Buffy debated in her head. Organising an apartment or hotel room, or shopping. "There's a really good mall off the next exit."

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"Okay, Buffy, exhibit A. You're going for revealing, and instead you pick slutty. Do you have a talent for bad choices?" She reached for a black mini-skirt and a halter-top. "Much better." She said absently as her eyes were drawn to a tight, sparkly, silver tube dress. "Do you like it?" she asked, holding it to her.

Buffy shrugged and nodded. "If you're going for the Elizabeth Hurley safety-pin look, yeah it's good. Oh, and if you were going for slutty, then it works too." Cordy smirked at her.

"Ha ha, so very funny, Buffy." She hung it back up, much to Buffy's surprise.

"Uh, Cord? You just took on board my opinion." Buffy joked as she picked up a green tank top with rhinestones on the straps. "What do you think?"

Cordelia frowned. "Try it on. If it still works, bring out the plastic."

Twenty minutes later, with a bag in hand, Buffy was patiently waiting for Cordelia to find something 'suitable'.

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"Welcome one and all to the grand opening of The Sun." the announcer called. Buffy and Cordelia raised their eyebrows.

"The Sun?" they repeated, grinning.

"Can I see some ID?" one of the burly bouncers demanded, looking bored. Cordelia tugged at her tank top.

Buffy flashed a smile and her card, and the bouncer waved her past. He looked to Cordelia. "I need proof of age, ma'am." Cordelia glared at him and waved the card around.

"I showed, you saw, you wave me by." He rolled his eyes and turned to the next person.

The two looked around in awe. Lights flashed, smoke machines pumped a mist into the air and the music pulsed in their ears.

"Lets find a table." Buffy yelled. Cordelia nodded and they pushed their way nearer to the front of the club.

Instantly, Cordelia was asked to dance. With a huge smile and a look, she bid goodbye to Buffy, who sat at the table. She waved Cordelia away when she tried to sit with her friend and ditched the guy, but secretly she was thrilled that Cordy had thought of her. Until her stomach began doing triple somersaults.

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Angel's head shot up as he walked through the club doors. Doyle looked over at him. "What is it, man? Thought you said you couldn't detect this demon."

He shook his head. "I can't. She's here."

Doyle frowned and looked around. "Who? Who's here?"

The vampire looked agonised. "She-- Buffy," he said, remembering Doyle didn't know who Buffy was. "I told you about her. Why I had to leave Sunnydale."

"And she's here!?" Doyle exclaimed, craning his neck. "Well where is she? Introduce me!"

Angel gave him a sharp look. "We won't be talking to her. Or seeing her. I don't plan on causing her anymore pain," He looked around the room in search of the demon. "We come in, kill it, and we leave again."

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"Buffy! You haven't danced once!" Cordelia said, setting two drinks on the table. The blond looked up at her and forced a smile.

"I think I'm kinda tired from all the apartment shopping." she trailed off weakly. Cordelia gave her a look.

"I don't think that lie could be weaker! If you wanted to mope, you could have done it in the hotel room instead of shelling out the contents of your purse to possibly get in the opening photos that clubs always display."

Buffy dropped her head on the table. "Ohhh.." Cordelia groaned.

" Buffy? There's a really nasty looking demon walking through the door. and grabbing a girl. and going out the back."

The Slayer instinct kicked in. She swept up her purse and pulled her stake to the front. "Lets go get some fresh air."

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Angel tailed the demon closely. "Lets kill this thing," he muttered, running up and throwing it off the girl it was attacking.

He grunted as he was thrown against a dumpster. From the corner of his eye, he saw Doyle helping the girl away from the fight.

Cordelia jerked open the door. "Ew! Over there!" Buffy handed her her purse and ran over.

"Okay buddy, dinners off! Deal with me!" she dragged the demon to its feet and swung it around, letting it slam into the back wall.

Angel struggled to his feet. "Buffy," he whispered, running into the fight as the demon got the upper hand.

As the demon died before her eyes, Buffy began to focus again. The haze that surrounded her as she fought cleared. With lonely eyes, she looked up into the face of her saviour.

"Angel?" When he saw she was awake again, he wrapped his arms around her.

"Oh god, Buffy, you're okay!" he kissed her forehead. "I."

She stood up shakily. "I don't think we should go any further here, Angel. You'll do something you'll regret, and you'll leave me again." Despite her firmness, tears trickled down her face as she walked from the alley, knowing Cordelia would follow quickly.

Panicked, he looked to Cordelia. She sighed, and looked over at him. "Hilton Hotel, room 118."

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"Have you found anything?" Willow asked the second she walked into the library.

They shook their heads.

"Will.Buffy and Cordy took off for a break. They haven't run away, as such. Maybe moved, but I'm sure they'll call soon. You know that Buffy won't want us freaking out."

Willow snapped her head around. "Well I think it's a little late for that, don't you? I'm freaking, you're freaking.we're all freaking!"

Xander looked up with a tired glaze over his eyes, sick of lying. "Okay, Will, I know for a fact they don't want you freaking. Cordy called me this morning. They've decided to live in LA again for a little while. And, I know where they're staying, and I'm going to visit Cordelia..but only me, because she invited me. Buffy has..issues to work out."

Willow's face clouded with anger. "Issues? That girl is one gigantic issue! How can she have issues? "Oooh..I killed the mayor. Oooh.I killed Faith. Well what about this? I can't turn my friend back into a human, she's currently a rodent! And what about the whole issue of my having to deal with college, being a witch and my parents doing the hard sell on being a strict Jewish? Hmm?"

Oz stroked her hair. "Buffy and you are.different. Her issues are more, well.deathly."

The red head pouted. "Amy could die from a rat disease.."

8 8 8

Buffy stepped out of the shower and tousled her hair so that it wasn't dripping. She wrapped herself in the fluffy, white bathrobe that was hanging on the back of the door and moved out into the main room.

"Cordelia, I'm going to bed." she froze mid-sentence. "Cordelia, w-why is Angel here?"

The brunette shrugged. "I figured we needed to deal with our exes. I invited Xander up, too. He'll be here in the morning. More coffee?" she said sweetly, not daring to look at Buffy.

"What do you want, Angel?" Buffy asked, her voice betraying how tired and lonely she felt. He smoothed back her wet hair.

"Forgiveness." He put up his hand, silencing her protest. "Because I was.am.wrong. I thought letting you go to have a normal life and move on would be the best. But neither of us can do that. I love you, Buffy, and I always have. I always will. I know you'll probably hate me for what I did and make me suffer.I actually expect that, and its probably one of the reasons that I haven't come back begging, the fear that you'll hate me."

Buffy felt all her defenses crumble as he spoke.She'd planned for lots of yelling on her part, so that he would know how much he'd hurt her. But she found she couldn't speak. "I." a tear fell down her cheek, and he wiped it away gently. "I love you, Angel. I could never hate you," she moved herself into his arms. "I could never, ever do anything but love you."

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