****

Buffy held still in her almost sleeping state. She was overwhelmed with all that she had just seen. Her own memory had lied to her during these past months. Instead of going to just talk with Angel she ends up losing him forever. Even more than she had already. "Angel?" Her voice was strong but soft. Slowly opening her eyes a slight sense of pain wrote over her face of not wanting to let go of the memories of which seemed only be a dream. "Why?" Noticing that her question was a little too bland. "Why did you keep it from me. You owed me that much to tell me the truth as to what happened between us." Her voice was now raised, no longer a whisper and yet not a raging yell either.

He stood still in front of her, absorbing the punishment that he thought to be well deserved. "We..." Swallowing a lump in her throat. "We made love, Angel. We were together finally and you..." Looking straight into his almond brown eyes, "You gave it back. Why?"

"I-" Angel was cut off by a sudden change of noise as another body entered the clearing.

"Buffy?" Riley seemed shaken up by what he must have over heard, hiding behind the bushes. "Whats going on? What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing of your concern." Angel glares in Riley's direction, giving him an evil look of which it seemed only a vampire could give.

"I think it is my concern. Look, I don't know who you are and why exactly you're here, but I'd bet that you're from Buffy's past breakups by the way you look at her. But shes moved on. And-"

"You're right." Snapping off Riley's long and unwanted speech. "You don't know who I am." With that he walked past all three of them and walked away. Leaving everyone to dwell in their confusion.

"Buffy, you mustn't' blame Angel for keeping this from him. He did only what he thaut to be right." Looking at the bewildered Riley. "Although, I do wonder why you don't like to share your past with others. It's who you are. Thats what makes you who you are." Feeling that she had said enough for the time being she began to follow Angel's route out of the creek's domain. Stopping in front of Riley's view of Buffy, sobering from the rush of information that she had just gained. "Riley? Will you escort me back to the house, please?" Sensing that Buffy might have wanted to keep to herself until she knew what was going on, before explaining to others.

**

"Buffy just needs to work some things out, thats all." Explaining to everyone once they had returned to the house. Everyone was more than curious as to why Buffy would stay by herself in the park at night with Adam and Faith on the loose. "I suggest you not worry. She is on protected ground." Everyone looked to one another with that comment said.

"So...Does anyone want to share what they got on Caela and profit?" Trying to move along without trying to explain the whole "protected" thing.

"I think it would be best if we all got some rest and waited until Buffy returned. I don't want to have us get deep into something and then have to return. Our research is over. I can assure you there is no immediate danger in the near future." Giles spoke up before everyone got comfortable in the dining room, in conference mode. Wesley stood just behind Giles, nodding his head in agreement.

"Okay. I'm going to go and take a shower." Caela stands up from her seat, facing everyone, making eye contact as she turned slowly to meet everyone's set. Her eyes suddenly closed as if a searing sharp pain ran through her back and all she could do was breath through it. But just as quickly as it had began she flew them open once more and exclaimed, "Why don't Giles, Xander and Riley make something of a meal for all of us and Willow can go ahead and study for the test she has tomorrow. And you." Pointing to Wesley. "And Cordelia can find as many sheets and blankets you think will be needed for all of us to sleep through the night." Taking a deep breath she looked at the ceiling. "I have a feeling that she will not be coming back until mid morning." Everyone stared at her, not knowing what to say, until. "Oh, and," Turning to everyone once again. "make sure Angel gets a bed this time. He may be a demon, but he still fancies being comfortable." Returning to walk up the stairs, everyone, again, watched her head back up to take her shower.

**

At first everyone thought that what was suggested was outrageous. Why should they obey orders from a half pint little 15 year old. Hell with Angel there they could all beat her up if they wanted to. But oddly enough everyone took in consideration of her askings and did as she said. Giles and Riley stood besides one another as they each concentrated on their own pot of something boiling. Xander was occupied shopping items on the island in the kitchen. Music was echoing from the living room. Surprisingly, Giles too, wiggled in his feet to the tunes. Although to themselves Xander, Cordy, Willow and Pike laughed at his peculiar movements.

Angel sat alone outside. He was given no job what so-ever, which he couldn't explain. Why was he left out? It seemed that she made it an effort to occupy everyone with a task. And yet there he sat, alone, to think about what had happened earlier that night. And he knew that that was not his job that night. If it was Riley would have been given the same.

**

Creeping down the strairs she peeked around the corner of the wall leading to the opening of the kitchen and living room. Her feet were light on the stairs. See that everyone was at that moment preoccupied to notice anything for a second she raced through both rooms stopping almost immediately at the back door. Opening it with silent grace she slipped through the small permitted opening. Upon feeling her presence Angel turned to see her.

"Caela, what do you want from me?" Angel sounded bitter to the arrival of young slayer.

"Do not put hate on my name. Just because-" Stopping herself before she mentioned anything that had to do with the memory loss and return. She remembered that no one else had truly heard the conversation, not even Riley was completely looped with it. "Ebec dacca ti ilea tue?" *Just because I helped you! "She began to speak in the language that was only understood between the two of them.

"Ti neti unnit pi twa..." *I don't know what...* Angel was not only confused in mind but also in words.

"Shhhh...." She comforted him with love. Not of affection towards a lover, but with that of a friend. One that seemed to know him. From where neither of them knew nor had a inkling.

"Buffy and I...We're not suposed to be together. Its not how it works." His Gaelic ceased with a mutual thought on Caela. Pulling himself together he was able to look into her eyes with equal respect that she showned upon him.

"What are you?" Looking in her eyes he tried to deciefer his own answer before she could.

"I'm the Kismettin, I-" Begining to explain, she knew he didn't mean what has already been explained.

"No, who are you?" More firmly.

"I"m Caela O'Haley." She stopped there, allowing it to sink in.

He was dumbstruck. He wasn't sure what to think. Everything was so confusing. The young girl that sat before him was so young, so beautiful, so talented and yet he didn't have affection for her. His feelings towards her was that of a brother.

"Haley?" His voice cracked slightly.

***

They sat silent looking at one another. One, confused, the other, hopeful. Caela wanted to know what Angel meant when he said her last name without a major part. Calling her Haley instead of her true name, O'Haley. Then it struck her. A small flash of Angel's past washed through her mind. Ang el was leaving in a hurry, being pushed out by his father. Caressing his younger sister's check he wiped away her tears of his departure. "No tears for me, Haley."

"No." It hit her. She now knew what the hope in his eyes was from. "I'm sorry, Angel but I am not your sister." She gently broke his hope.

"I know." It came to Caela as a relief to hear him say that he understood who exactly she was and wasn't. She didn't want to make him put faith into something that could probably never come true. "I just...I miss her so much. And you remind me so much about her..."

"I know, I saw how much you cared for her. You would have killed anyone who would have touched her wrongly." Allowing him to speak of his past without having to feel the need to explain "his" actions, for she could see everything it seemed. She could exactly read minds, that he knew. IN order to see into the minds of others she needed to have close contact with them. Which was much more different from the power to read minds from across the room.

What does it mean that I am to protect her? I don't understand. If she is the slayer then why not protect herself. She doesn't need anymore help than Buffy does. Perhaps a little more considering her age and experience, but Pike makes it seem as though she is the Princess of Atlantis. She doesn't exist, although she stands before me, now.

"Angel, I am the Kismettin. I cannot read minds I only hear what they tell me. And yes, I do need close contact. I need to...It's kinda like when someone is reading you something, but you can't hear them, so you move closer. Your memories and thoughts are like a book. The words are whispered but in order for me to hear I must be close." His mind at first was blank and ready for more information. But once she had completed her statement everything seemed more clear. Well, at least when it came to her character and special abilities.

"Dinner!" Xander's voice rang through the door out to the porch of which they conversed. Standing up, he opened the door allowing her to enter first.

"Wiphe tue." Thanking him as she crossed the threshold.

***

Angel and Riley sat at different ends of the table. From time to time they would exchange glares from across room. The room was cold where they sat, but everyone else was warm with conversation of just about everything. School, the Bronze, Music, Magic everything but slaying. Although it had never occurred to either of them that they were avoiding the subject they still liked the idea of it at the end of the meal.

"Angel, you get the guest room, Willow, you and I get Buffy's bed. Giles you get the couch in the living room, and Wesley will be on a cot in there with you. Xander and Pike you're on the floor, somewhere." The last placement was a little iffy. Wesley and her knew that there would be a few people who would get the floor so they thought it best to give it to the young guys.

"Well, I guess I'm going back to the house. I'll call Buffy later and"

"No!" Cordy stopped Riley from gathering all of his things.

"Well, I wasn't placed to sleep anywhere so I assumed that I wasn't invited."

"But you are. It's just that I forgot to tell you your spot." Looking at Caela and then back.

"You're with her tonight. She wants you to watch on her."

"Your kidding?" Riley laughed.

"I do not joke without cause." Caela explained that it was her doing not anyone else's

"You want me to baby-sit." Looking to everyone in the room except for Caela.

"I do not need to be baby-sat, but if you haven't heard I do need to be protected." Standing up. "I am tired now, I will go upstairs and change. Please give me a few minutes before joining me. Thank you. And goodnight everyone." Everyone bid her goodnight as well as she exited the room and headed to the second floor.

There wasn't a lot of people they knew that spoke English rather than American English. Her language sounded so proper not including the twist of her Irish accent. Riley didn't just give Caela a few moments to change. He sat with everyone else reading books Xander and he had collected. His eyes seemed to roam pass his book and over in the direction of Pike and Angel. Although he was a little more jealous of Angel at that point his thoughts aimed more curiouser now of Pike. Wondering how he knew Buffy. How close they were if they were at all. Which Riley had no doubt they weren't at some point.

Giles grew agitated by the fact that Riley was not doing what was asked of him. It wasn't so much as him not doing as he was told, but the fact that he thought it was fruitless to go along with what Caela wanted. He believed that Caela possessed no power over his being in any way. Which in his Constitutional Rights he was correct, but she was a slayer and she seemed to understand and react to everything in a proper matter. Finally his thoughts raised to large for storage in his mind and did what he thought to be the best way to give a hint. "Well, its getting late, and I suggest that we all try to get some sleep before the morning." Standing up he spoke before the group.

"Okay. Goodnight." Willow chimed in first, giving everyone an opportunity to do the same as he suggested.

""Night!" Going to the stairs, Cordelia rang up the hall.

***

Riley was tired but not eager to sign in at his post. Still, felling harshly obligated he unwillingly climbed to the second floor, and into the bedroom. It had been over an hour since Caela had spoke to the group last and committed herself to slumber. Upon silently opening the door to the room of Buffy's mother he automatically glanced at the bed for her. Surprisingly he found the bed to be empty. Still made-up perfectly. Scanning the room immediately his eyes set upon the window where he found that the girl had fallen asleep on the window sleep with a blanket wrapped from her shoulders to her feet around her body. Her head was tilted to the side facing the outside. She had waited for him while staring out at the night, falling asleep.

Once he had found her, he felt guilty of not coming up sooner when he was expected. Stripping the covers and linen of the bed to a half fold he removed the unnecessary throw pillows. Once he approached her relaxed body he briefly examined how he should switch her sleeping form from one place to another.

Although not clearly he could see some shading of color on her neck from the pull of her hair. Curious, too, he brushed the red locks away to show the full of it's art. Like angel and Buffy curiosity led him to questions, of which he would have to wait until the morning when the girl should wake. "Hmm?" A drowsy moan exhaled from the disturbed girl.

"Shhh..." Riley found that it was his fault again of which the girl stirred. "Come on." Sliding his hands under her body he slowly picked her up gently and carried her to the prepared bed.

"Those who wonder, and never question are doomed to be lost in the dark." As he began to cover her body she spoke without anticipation.

"Get you rest." Riley knew what she had meant but it seemed to enrage him by the rise of the subject. Upon hearing his denial of the topic her eyes opened just enough to look at him.

'Ask him what you will, what you need to know. But I warn ya, do not argue with him. He does not need-"

"We have nothing to talk about. What would we talk-" Upon cutting her off she did the same.

"Aye, but ya do." Straining to sit up. "Do you both not love her?" She noticed his head shoot up to look at her with anger.

***

At last she had returned to her dreams. Deeply asleep. Riley did not want to let her see him taking her advice. He felt that it was only foolishness, and the fact that she could have been his baby sister wasn't any help either. Contemplating over what she had said anyway he came to a conclusion to just approach Angel and talk to him man to man. And possibly clear up things between them, and figure out what was truly going on, and what kind of past they've had. Riley exited the bedroom and walked down the hall a little ways and held his loose fist up to the door to knock. Surprising him, Angel opened the door just a millisecond before Riley had a chance to even present his presence. Letting out a sigh of relief, Riley recieved a gesture of permission to enter. Leaving Angel to shut the door behind him.

Walking to stand in front of Riley, Angel looked very confused and yet slightly agitated. He only stood there waiting for Riley to speak first.

"Look, I'm sorry for getting carried away like that, at you, earlier at the park. You're right I don't know you. And I had no right to assume what you were up to." Riley broke the silence. Making amends for his mistakes.

Angel only starred at him. The same look glued to his face. He was obviously not amused and annoyed with Riley's presence in his personal space.

"I take it back." Riley had a whole change of opinion within those few seconds of nothingness. "I don't apologize. Why should I? I have every right to get angry when my girlfriend and her ex, apparently, are talking of making love, and their past." Although his voice did indeed raise, he still acknowledged the fact that it was early morning and that there were other's in the house still sleeping.

"We weren't..." Slowing his sentence Riley jumped in.

"Do you still love her?" Angel stared him down with the question, which was obviously none of his business.

"Yes, but we can't-"

"Did you or did you not have sex with her?" Getting too curiously involved with the conversation he was getting himself in an off limits area.

"This is something that you should be talking to Buffy about. Not me." Angel walked over to the door and opened it, giving the suggestion of Riley's departure. Doing as desired, Riley did indeed exit that room. But he did not return to where he was posted. Well not exactly anyway. Instead he sat down in the hall, leaning against the door.

**

Buffy walked though the oddly unlocked back door. She rummaged though the fridge after pulling out a simple bottle of Nivea water. Twisting the cap off and breaking the seal she took the first sip and walked towards the living room, stopping almost with a sudden jolt. Looking over the room she found Xander and Pike sleeping on the floor just below the area of which Giles and Wesley were sleeping. Smiling she realized that in each of their own way's they looked kinda cute when they slept. She dodged the resting bodies and made her way up to her bed room.

Before opening the door she spotted another familiar being asleep at the end of the hall leaning against her mother's door. Once she had figured that they all looked too sweet to wake up she opened her door slowly and peeked her head in, only to realize that her room too had been possessed by others'. Almost becoming frustrated she closed the door ever so gently and tiptoed down the hall to it's midpoint. The quest room, her last chance at rest of some sort. Opening door number two she found it to be occupied. But this one wasn't asleep, his back was turned yes, but he seemed to be well aware of her presence. Buffy closed the door behind her. She knew in the back of her head that it would become a dangerous call to make but she felt that she had to talk to someone. Someone involved with what was going on. Who knew him. Willow was asleep and Riley? The one person she was trying to keep the Angel part of her life from, she couldn't talk to. Making sure that the door was completly closed she watched him finish putting on his white shirt.

"I knew you were here." Angel turned to talk to her.

"I know. It feels like a rush. Like someones just swung you around over their heads and suddenly just stopped." She looked at him with the knowledge that he had experianced that same as he approached her door a few nights before. "I have that too."

"Buffy, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you what happened. You've started a new life, one thats better. With someone-"

"No." Cutting him short. "You and I both know that I deserved to know what really happened between us, Angel. The only thing is that..." He watched her in anticipation. "The only thing is, that now I have to chose. I love you both. So much." Angel looked almost hurt to hear her words that they meant so much to him.

"Buffy, you're with someone who can make you happy. Someone who can be with you. I can't provide that for you. If you are going to result yourself to a choice, then I'm dropping out of the running. I want you to be happy, and thats why I didn't tell you." Angel and she both knew that it hurt both of them to hear those words.

"You can't do that. That is my choice to make! Not your!" Buffy was no longer concerned with the other's rest. It had completely exited her mind.

"Buffy?" Riley opened the door, to find his girl friend yelling at her ex. Buffy glanced from him and to Angel, and rushed out of the room and into her mother's. She had a feeling that Caela would be in door number three.

"Buffy?" Caela sat up to find Buffy crying at the other side of the bed. Her sobs shook the entire bed.

"I want everything to be so simple. Why does it have to be like this. My choice is made without me. Its not fair." Buffy explained her reasons for crying so fiercely.

"Shhh... It's okay. It is not written until you say it is." Buffy looked up at her. Her face seemed as if she could only hold in her sobs for a few moments. "I have a gift for you, Buffy. But you must give me some time. Don't let anyone leave this house. It must be here. I'll be back." Caela spoke clearly and yet with speed. As soon as she had finished speaking to the weeping slayer she dashed off the bed and quickly changed. Rushing out of the room she almost ran into Riley, who was waiting to take his turn to talk with Buffy.

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