Disclaimer: Oh please! Do you really think I'm that mean? I wouldn't break up Buffy and Angel if my life depended on it! And creating Riley! Puh-please! Do you think that I'm on acid?! I'm a clean person, no worries people. Anyway, enough with my Drusilla-type psycho-babble, what I'm trying to say is that they aren't mine. They belong to Joss Whedon, the WB, Twentieth Century Fox, Mutant Enemy (Erg, arg), and a bunch of other companies that I'm too lazy to name.
Rating: Well, what I've wrote so far is basically what you'd see in a Buffy or Angel episode, and it won't get much worse.
Summary: Buffy and Riley get married, but a horrible accident during their honeymoon makes Buffy realize her mistake.
Feedback: Yes! You must! Or else I'll send Angelus after you! And he likes chainsaws!
Distrubution: You want it? Take it. Just tell me where it's going.
Author's Note: My writes block is gone! Yes! I started thinking about this last week but never got around to writing it since I was so busy, school is really something I hate. This story takes place in the year 2003, or Buffy season 7. I think.. Anyway, I know all you B/A fans out there won't like the beginning, hey, I don't either, and I'm the one who wrote it! But don't worry, it'll get better. And just for the record, how stupid does Buffy Summers-Finn or Buffy Finn sound to you? Yep, pretty stupid. Exactly what I feel. Oh yeah! And Oz didn't leave and Doyle isn't dead!... Stupid Joss!

PART 1

Buffy Summers-Finn (*cringe*) snuggled closer to her new husband as they flew to Hawaii for their honeymoon. Their wedding had been beautiful; she couldn't remember the last time she'd been so happy (note that I say REMEMBER, grrrrrr..).

"We're almost there!" she squealed.

"I know, isn't it exciting?" Riley asked her.

"Only because it's with you," she replied smiling.

He smiled back, Buffy felt like melting, that smile...(Yeah, the ugly one I want to punch off his face! Oh, oh yeah, story, got it..)

"What do you want to do first when we get there?" he asked.

"Go to the beach. It's romantic," she replied.

Riley chuckled.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing. Beach it is," he said

"Yay!" Buffy cheered then looked back out the window at the water far, far below them as she waited for the plane to land.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy and Riley walked along the windy moonlit beach hand in hand.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to go swimming at this time of night? And with this wind?" Riley asked.

"I don't want to go swimming now silly, I just want to walk, or do other things with you.." Buffy said.

"That sounds like a plan," Riley said and kissed her. But they were interrupted when Buffy heard a scream from the water. She pulled away and spotted a young man trying to swim back to the shore through the immense waves.

"Looks like duty calls." She sighed.

"No, I'll go," Riley replied.

"No you won't, I'm the one with the slayer strength," she said and plunged into the water. She swam towards him and managed to get a hold on him, but just as she began to swim back to the shore a huge tidal wave pulled her under the water and she was carried away from the island, being tossed and choked by the raging ocean.

"BUFFY!" Riley shouted but there was nothing her could do to save her. He ran from the beach to the coast guards' office.

~*~*~*~

The Next Night

Angel walked along the Santa Monica pier. He could still remember the only time he'd ever seen it in the daylight as if it were yesterday. As if it were yesterday that he and Buffy had been together and happy, And not married. he thought bitterly. It was his fault though, what did he expect? For her to wait for him to get his head back on straight? Well, whatever it was, it was too late now; Buffy at the moment was most likely making love to her new husband. Riley Finn, what kind of a name is "Finn" anyway? Why? Why did she have to be married? And now? Once they could really be together. Instead of blessing the gypsy woman who removed the clause from his curse after he saved her, he cursed her. Because now he could finally be with Buffy without any worries, but she was with someone else. He still remembered that day those eight months ago it had happened. He'd sprinted back to the office ready to call Buffy and tell her the good news when he'd found the invitation sitting there on his desk; the invitation to Buffy and Riley's wedding. He himself couldn't even describe the hurt he'd felt then, it was worse than anything he'd ever felt in his 247 years of living. Just the thought of Buffy being with another man made him sick, but the actual knowledge of it was almost unbearable. He'd never R.S.V.P.-ed tothe wedding, he didn't think he could bear it. Buffy had some nerve, inviting someone she knew loved her more than life itself to her wedding to another man? She'd have to be joking. Angel just walked along the dark pier, deep in self-loathing and pity, when he noticed a scraggly figure lying twisted in the sand. Angel ran towards it, smelling blood and knowing it was human. He pushed the blonde hair out of the poor girls face so he could see who it was and nearly died at the sight; it was Buffy.

~*~*~*~*~*~

PART 2

Angel just stared at her unconscious, and hopefully not dead, figure frozen in shock and fear. He didn't know what to do. He was afraid to touch her, what if she was badly hurt? He couldn't move her. What if she was dead? He felt his stomach twist into knots as he reached out to feel for a pulse. He let out a breath that he hadn't even realized he'd been holding when he felt one there. It was slightly slower that normal, but there was one. He felt for the cell phone he now silently and profusely thanked Cordelia for giving him and called 9-1-1.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy woke up slowly to the sound of beeping and buzzing around her. She opened her eyes to find herself in the hospital. She looked around the room then turned her head towards the door to find Angel sitting beside her bed.

"Angel?" she whispered.

"Um, hi," he replied.

"Wh-where am I? What am I doing here?" Buffy questioned half in panic.

"You're in the hospital.. In L.A.. I found you washed up on the beach a couple of hours ago," Angel explained to her.

Suddenly Buffy began to remember everything, the beach in Hawaii, the wind, the man drowning, being pulled under by a wave.. And now she was here. She groaned.

A doctor walked into the room.

"Oh, you're awake. I'm Dr. Amiel." the woman said.

"Nice to meet you, and thanks a lot for helping me, but really, I've got to go, my husband is probably worried sick," she replied sitting up.

Angel felt a pang of hurt and jealousy as she used that word; "husband".

"I'm sorry Mrs. Finn, but you're not going anywhere for awhile, you've sprained both you're ankles," The doctor explained. Angel cringed slightly when she called Buffy that, "Mrs. Finn" why did he have to say that she was married? They wouldn't have known the difference.

"You're kidding," Buffy said.

"Unfortunately not. Now, you're friend here has informed us on how you stand with hospitals and had graciously offered to let you stay with him until your friends and family can be contacted, if that is alright with you," Dr. Amiel said. Buffy looked over and Angel, who was already sitting there deep in brooding mode, she had to say, she still admired him, all this that had gone on between them and he still was willing to take care of her.

"I'd love that," Buffy replied

Angel smiled slightly at her response, but it soon fell once he realized that he'd be spending possibly the next couple weeks with a woman he adored but could never have.

"We'll have you checked out right away," the doctor replied.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Riley opened the door to reveal Giles, Willow, Oz, Xander and Anya, all with extremely worried looks on their faces.

"Thanks for coming out here," Riley said as they all filed into the Hawaiian resort hotel room.

"Hey! It's Hawaii! Why wouldn't we come?"Xander attempted to joke, to ease the tension, but the anxiety on his voice was apparent.

"There's no word on her is there?" he asked.

Riley shook his head.

"They've searched the area, they found the man, he didn't survive, but they haven't found her yet," Riley said, his voice void of any emotions.

"She'll be alright. She's Buffy. She's always alright," but even she doubted it at the moment.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Angel helped Buffy get into his bed and get comfortable. There had been an awkward silence between them since they'd left the hospital.

"Are you okay like that? Do you want anything?" Angelasked.

"No thanks, I'm fine. I just wish that I knew the phone number for the resort, Riley is probably so worried," Buffy said.

Angel had already called the entire Scooby Gang and none of them had been there. The only one he hadn't called was Riley, and Buffy couldn't remember the number for the resort.

"I'm sure one of your friend swill pass the message along once we get in touch with one of them," Angel comforted her, he wished someone would comfort him..

"I wish I could talk to him now, I need to let him know that I'm alright, I can't even imagine how I'd feel if I was in his position," Buffy sighed.

Now Angel had had it.

"Just twist the knife in deeper why don't you!" he told her.

"What?"

"I offer you my home, you nearly give me a cardiac arrest, yes, you heard me right, a cardiac arrest, and that's pretty impossible considering I'm already dead, when I found you on the beach, you send me an invitation to your wedding to another guy, and now you can't stop talking about him even though you know I'm still madly in love with you!" Angel shouted.

"What am I supposed to do?!" Buffy shrieked, "Not care that my husband might think that I'm dead? That my friends could... did you just say you were still madly.. in love.. with me?" Buffy asked quietly once she realized what he had just said.

~*~*~*~*~

PART 3

"Are you sure you've searched everywhere?" Riley asked the coast guard who had come up to the room.

"Positive, there's no sign of her. We'll wait another 24 hours but after that time I think we'll unfortunately have to give up." The coast guard replied.

"24 hours???!!! You can't give up that soon! Buffy is strong! She had to have survived! She's out there somewhere! You have to find her!" Xander shouted.

"I understand the concern for your friend but no one could last longer than that out in the water, no matter how strong a person they are. I'm sorry," the coast guard answered, then left.

"I'm not giving up." Xander said.

"None of us want to Xander, but you have to admit, he could be right, I mean, he probably has had to deal with this sort of thing before and-" Willow began.

"No! I will NOT accept that! Buffy is NOT dead!" Xander shouted.

"None of us want to Xander, but what happens, happens. We can't change that. If Buffy is dead, although we all hope to God that she isn't, there is nothing we can do about it," Giles replied.

Xander slumped down on the couch and sighed.

"I can't believe this is happeneing. I wish we knew where she was." He said.

"We all do, we all do," Oz agreed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Did you ever have to doubt that? Why do you think that I never R.S.V.P.-ed to your wedding? Do you seriously think that I could sit there and watch you marry someone else? I felt like killing myself when I found that invitation Buffy, it hurt me so much,"

Buffy just sat there quietly, unable to look at him.

"I have never felt this way about anyone before, and I lost you," he said.

"I-I'm sorry, I really am, I thought you didn't..because you said.. And then you left... So I.. So I found someone else," Buffy stammered with tears in her eyes, leaving some sentences unfinished.

Angel had a sudden urge to let all his feelings pour out, he had to let her know what the past four years had been like for him.

"I never stopped loving you Buffy, never, in the four years that we've been apart my feelings for you haven't changed a bit. And they never will. I would do anything for you Buffy, I would willingly walk back into the fiery pits of Hell if it was to save you. And I can't even begin to describe how it made me feel to know that you'd moved on and found someone else. I loathed that man even though I never met him, because he took you away from me. Every time I hear you say his name or call him your husband the pain I feel is thousands of times worse than the worst form of torture that could be invented. I regretted leaving you every day since the day I did it. But I was afraid to come back, afraid of how you'd react, afraid that you'd reject me," Angel said.

The tears were now spilling down Buffy's cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.. I didn't know. I thought you left because you didn't want to be with me anymore, and Riley.. I only started dating him because I was afraid of being alone, because you said you wanted me to have a normal life, a normal relationship, you said you wanted me to be with someone who made me happy. So I tried to do that. I thought that if I was happy that you'd be happy too. But I never really loved him, I still don't, not the way I love you," Buffy replied.

Angel looked over at her, sitting in his bed, tears streaming down her face, and he suddenly wasn't mad at her anymore. `Not the way I love you'. she still loves me.. he thought. He walked back over to her and enveloped her in a hug. She buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.." She wept.

"Shhhhh, it's alright, don't cry, please. I'm not mad at you, please Buffy. I love you," he whispered to her soothingly.

Buffy lifted her head to look at him,

"What was I thinking Angel? I don't really love him. Why did I marry him? What have I done?" Buffy asked.

"I can't answer you Buffy, I don't know." Angel replied.

Buffy looked up at his lips, realizing that they were only centimeters away from hers, she leaned in for a kiss, their first in four years, at least that she remembered.

Angel pulled away,

"Angel?"

"We can't do this, you're married."

"Oh. right."

Angel got off the bed.

"You should get some rest," he told her as he moved towards the door. Really he was just trying to get away from the temptation, "if you need anything I'll be in the kitchen," he said.

Buffy nodded then nestled into the covers to try to sleep, but knew that with Angel in the next room, she'd never be able to.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

PART 4

A WEEK LATER

"Cordy? Why do you have Mrs. Ferguson under `B'?" Buffy asked Cordelia, her legs were healing well and she could now walk around for awhile each day, Angel had asked her to teach Cordy how to file, the filing cabinet was a mess according to him, and it was true. Buffy knew that he'd only asked her to do that for a distraction, they kept finding themselves in awkward positions, so Buffy was happy to agree. Although she wanted something to happen between her and Angel so badly, she knew that nothing could, she had Riley, and she wasn't one to cheat, and she knew that no matter how much Angel wanted her and loved her, he wouldn't let anything happen. So here she was, filing, safely filing, there wasn't anything sexy about filing.

"Mrs. Ferguson was a bitch, so I put her under `B', for bitch" Cordelia said.

"Well, Cordy, Mrs. Ferguson should go under `F', for Ferguson, that way everyone can find the files, not just you," Buffy said.

"If you want to do it the uncreative way," Cordelia sighed.

Buffy shook her head then pulled out another file.

"Why is Mr. Wiley under `B'? Is he a bitch too?" Buffy asked jokingly.

"Oh god! BORING! That guy had no personality!" Cordelia explained exasperated.

Doyle, who was sitting next to Cordelia on the couch chuckled

"I think your filing is cute,"

"At least someone appreciates my methods!" she said.

"Hey! I never said that, I said they were cute," Doyle corrected her.

She swatted him playfully across the chest. Buffy sighed. Why could things never turn out that way for her? Her thoughts were interrupted by the phone.

"Angel Investigations," she heard Angel answer.

"Giles! Good to hear from you! What is it.."

Buffy scrambled into Angel's office upon hearing her ex-watcher's name. But she still wasn't able to run on her ankles so she tripped and fell face first onto the floor just inside Angel's office.

"Buffy? Dead?" he asked.

Buffy's eyes grew wide and she nodded.

"But.." Angel said to Giles as he gave Buffy a confused look.

"I'm dead" Buffy mouthed as she pretended to slit her throat with her finger. Angel understood what she wanted him to do, he just didn't understand why.

"But she."

Buffy pointed to herself then wrapped her hands around her own neck and pretended she was choking herself.

"But she can't be, she just can't be.." Angel replied with fake anxiety in his voice.

Buffy sighed a sigh of relief.

"No, I don't think I could bear that.. I understand that she would, but I don't think I could handle being there... Yes, maybe I will sometime... yes, thank you for telling me.. Yes, same to you... goodbye," he said then hung up the phone.

Buffy picked herself up off the floor and proceeded downstairs.

"Buffy." Angel called after her.

She didn't answer,

"Buffy," he called again.

He followed her down the stairs and stopped at the bottom to find her standing in the middle of the living room with her arms wrapped around herself.

"Buffy, why did you ask me to do that?" he asked.

"Buffy turned around to face him with tears in her eyes,

"I... I.." she stammered,

"You can tell me Buffy, don't worry," he said.

"I...I don't want to go back.. I don't want to go back to Sunnydale," she whimpered.

"But-but why? Your friends are there, and Riley.." Angel said.

"I know, I know, and I feel horrible lying to them, and they're probably all really worried about me, but if I go back.. I have to go back to Riley, and I don't think I could bear that.. And I'm happy here, it feels almost like home, and you're here, I don't want to go back to Riley... I want to stay here, with you," Buffy whispered.

Angel knew it was wrong to feel that way, but he did, he couldn't help it. He couldn't believe she wanted to stay here with him instead of going back home to her friends, to her husband. He felt so happy, so loved. He suddenly didn't care anymore that she was married, he ran over to her, swept her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. Buffy smiled slightly, finally what she wanted. But was it right? Oh who cares! Screw Riley! she thought as they stumbled through his apartment and landed on his bed. That was when reality hit her,

"Angel, we can't do this, your soul." she said.

"Is permanent. The clause was removed, don't ask questions now," he replied hurriedly the crushed his lips to hers again.

~*~*~*~*~*~

PART 5

The gang walked into Giles' apartment only minutes after he'd hung up with Angel.

"Hey G-man!" Xander said, trying to be cheerful, their lack of success in the past week to find Buffy had dropped his spirits quite a bit. The rest of the group stayed silent while entering, they were all pretty much grieving.

"Hey! 'ave you broken the terrible news to Peaches yet? How did he react?" Spike asked cheerfully as he waltzed through Giles' front door.

"You mean Angel?" Giles asked, appalled by Spike's behavior, considering the circumstances.

"Yeah, Peaches," Spike repeated.

"His name is Angel! And you should be nice to him! He's probably not taking this too well!" Willow scolded, "How is he taking it Giles?" she asked.

"Well, um, he seemed pretty upset, he.. He refused to come to the memorial service, he said it would be too hard on him," Giles replied.

"Oh that Bloody Poof! 'Oh! My poor precious Slayer! What will I ever do now?!' He'll probably go barbeque himself," Spike said.

"Doesn't this hurt you at all?! Have you NO respect?! And I don't just mean for Buffy! I know I've never really liked Angel but out of all of us he's most likely taking it the hardest. So for his sake AND Buffy's just shut up and at least PRETEND to be upset!" Xander shouted.

Spike turned to face Xander, the smiling, mocking look on his face was gone and was now replaced by a look of pure agony,

"You think I'm just all 'appy and giddy about this? You think I'm GLAD that Buffy's dead? This is KILLIN' me! I mean, I was actually startin' to like her! And then she 'as to go out and drown herself. And I actually feel sorry for Angel! That stupid wanker.. That poor, stupid wanker. do you know how sorry I feel for him? He just lost the most important thing in his life! I definetly am not envying 'im right now," Spike said. He laughed, "I LIKED the Slayer!" he shook his head then picked up a vase that was sitting on Giles' coffee table.

"Can I break this?" he asked.

Giles sighed

"Oh, go head," he replied,

Spike threw it as hard as he could across the room and it smashed into pieces on the wall. He slid down the wall he was standing infront of until he was sitting on the floor.

"Stupid Blondie.. Who am I going to have verbal spars with now? I miss that stupid do-gooder.." He mumbled.

The rest of the group stared at him sadly, what were they all going to do now?

~*~*~*~*~

"So, you saved a gypsy lady, and instead of paying you, she fixed your curse?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah,"

"And so now the clause is gone?" she continued.

"Yeah,"

"So.. we could go at it like rabbits and everything would turn out fine and dandy?" Buffy asked.

"If you want to put it that way, yes," Angel laughed.

Buffy had never heard Angel laugh before, she knew it, yet it sounded so familiar, infact, the whole situation seemed too familiar, lying happily in each other's arms. why did she feel like she was having major déjà-vu? She brushed it aside and decided to concentrate on the here and now.

"And it really happened the same day you got the wedding invitation?" she asked.

"Yeah, it did."

"I have really bad timing.." Buffy said.

Angel smiled at her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Angel asked, "I mean, lying to your friends this way.." Angel said.

"Yes I do. I do feel bad about it, but it's time I do what I want in life. And I want you. They'd just rat me out to Riley, then I'd have to go back to him," she said, shuddering slightly, how could she have ever let him touch her? (Yes! I got some Riley-bashing in!)

"But you're married to him, why are you trying to escape him?"

"Oh, I don't know, why were you trying to escape your wife?" Buffy asked.

"What?" Angel asked.

Buffy fixed a chain around her neck so that what she had hanging on it was in the front again, it was her Claddagh ring.

"I found out what it's used for while we were researching some sort of Irish demon-thingy. I've worn it on this chain ever since." She told him.

Angel smiled at her, they were married, well, at least in Ireland, but that didn't matter to him. It was what he'd always wanted.

"Maybe we could get married for real someday." Angel said,

"Are you making suggestions?" Buffy asked.

"Not right now, we've still got some little things we need to talk out." Angel said.

Buffy pouted,

"I don't like talking,"

"What would you rather we do?" Angel asked.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe something a little more along the lines of this for now," Buffy replied, then kissed him.

"I can go for that," Angel said.

~*~*~*~*~

"They've been down there an awfully long time." Cordelia said, her and Doyle still sitting on the couch,

"Yeah.. They have... Do ya think he's told her about the curse?" Doyle asked,

"Do you?" Cordelia asked.

"I don't know.. But they've still been down there an awfully long time.."

They heard a giggle come from downstairs,

"Maybe we should leave," Cordelia suggested,

"Right behind ya Princess!" Doyle replied as they rushed out of the office.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy woke up and reached out for Angel.. but he wasn't there. Buffy sat up and looked around the room, he wasn't there either. Buffy started to panic, what if the gypsy had lied to Angel? What if the curse really broke and now Angelus was running around L.A. tormenting people?

"Angel?" she called softly.

Just then he came through the door carrying a tray.

"Breakfast in bed for the patient," Angel said smiling,

Buffy let out a sigh then smiled back.

"You know, doctors can get their licenses revoked for sleeping with the patients." Buffy said teasingly. Angel laughed then kissed her,

"I know a cop, maybe I could pay her off." Angel said going along with it,

"Her? Who is this cop you know?" Buffy asked, pretending to be jealous,

"Her name is Kate, and she means absolutely nothing to me," Angel said kissing her again.

Buffy looked down at the food infront of her and smiled,

"You didn't have to do this," Buffy said

"But I wanted to, and once you're all better I'm taking you out somewhere special," he told her,

Buffy smiled again,

"You're too good to me," she sighed,

"I try," Angel replied smiling.

"Angel! Did you just make a joke?! What's happened to you!?" she gasped sarcastically.

"I got you back and I can finally be happy again," he replied.

Buffy smiled, this is what she'd always wanted, and she'd finally gotten it,

"I'm happy too," she said.

~*~*~*~*~

PART 6

The doorbell rang at Giles' house and Oz jumped up to open the door, Riley stepped into the room.

"Hey man! You're back!" Oz said.

"Yeah, they said there wasn't really much of a point to me staying there anymore, they're still going to keep and eye out for her though, but she's not a priority anymore," he told the group.

"Not a priority! She's the Bloody Slayer!" Spike shouted.

"Yeah well, let's see how long you last out in the water for a week," Xander grumbled.

"I'd last fine, I don't breathe, remember? I couldn't drown,"

"I hate to admit it, but I'm pretty sure she's not coming back," Riley sighed, sitting down on the couch.

"We can't give up hope guys! Buffy always pulls through! She's probably. in Mexico. or some little island somewhere. living a happy little island life." Willow stammered, trying to be optimistic.

"I'm gonna go with Red, it makes me feel better," Spike announced.

"I think I'll wait a month maybe, if nothing shows up then I'll get the marriage annulled or something," Riley said.

"Angel wouldn't get an annulment if Buffy died." Spike muttered.

"What?" Riley asked.

"Oh nothing! Just talking to myself. I do that sometimes." Spike said trying to cover up what he said. But the rest of the group heard him, and they had to admit, he was right.

"Do you think Cordy and Doyle know?" Willow asked.

"If Angel didn't fry himself they probably do," Anya said.

"Hey! I'm supposed to say that!" Spike said.

"Well, even if Angel did, um, "fry" himself, although I hope to God that he didn't resort to such things, he would have told them," Giles reasoned.

"I'm gonna call Cordy later, just to make sure," Willow said.

"Like they'd want to know that their friend drowned," Xander said.

"Yeah, I'd certainly be a happier vamp if I didn't know," Spike admitted.

"Wait! Is this Angel? Buffy's ex-boyfriend?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, why?" Anya asked.

"Why would he be concerned about Buffy's death?" Riley asked.

"Maybe because he loves her more then life itself!" Spike shouted, he really didn't like his sire, but he understood how he felt about Buffy.

"But he left her," Riley said.

"But not because he wasn't in love with her anymore." Oz said.

"What? Someone explain this to me," Riley asked,

" No, that would just add to my depression, I'm leaving," Xander said.

"Xander goes, I go," Anya said and followed him out the door.

"Bye guys," Willow said and her and Oz left.

"I'd leave to but I'm stuck her until the sun goes down," Spike said.

"I'm so confused right now," Riley sighed.

"You'll understand when you're older little boy," Spike said.

~*~*~*~*~

The rest of the week went pretty much the same in Sunnydale and L.A.. Buffy's friends all attended her "memorial service" that week. Angel sent Cordelia and Doyle to it so things wouldn't look suspicious. Buffy was helping Angel with his missions now that she had healed and when they weren't fighting evil.. Well, let's just not go there.

"Well, on a scale of 1-10, for your fighting skills, I'd have to give you a 1, cause you tried," Buffy told a vampire as she backed it into a corner in a dead end alley and staked it.

"You're enjoying this a little too much tonight," Angel told her, coming up behind her and slipping an arm around her waist.

"Well, I haven't killed anything in awhile, I missed it," Buffy said.

"Oh, I'd have to disagree, you nearly killed yourself awhile ago, that counts for killing something," Angel said sarcastically.

"Hey! Excuse me for trying to be a good person and saving someone's life!" Buffy said.

"I'm not saying anything bad about that, just next time you want to save someone make sure you don't kill yourself too," Angel told her then kissed the top of her head.

"Yes sir!" Buffy said.

Angel smiled at her,

"Let's go home, it's getting late." he said.

"Not too late I hope." Buffy said, smiling mischievously.

"No, not too late at all," Angel said as they walked back to his car.

Go to Part 7