Disclaimer: Joss owns ‘em and WB and UPN and FOX and everyone else that is evil.
Rating: G
Author’s Notes: Cute little fluffy piece. We need it! Enjoy!

The five-year-old girl clung to her father’s hand as they made their way through the mass of New Yorkers. It was her first time in the big city and everything was so amazing yet scary. She gripped her small blanket closely to her ski jacket. It was colder than she had ever experienced and the snow on the ground seeped through her tiny shoes and soaked her socks. Trying to keep up with her father was a chore. Finally he stopped in front of a stand and let go of his daughter’s hand for a moment. The child smiled mischievously a stepped a little farther from her dad. She peered curiously down the dark alley to her left. A young man sat crouched against the wall in the cold December night. The child frowned and inched her way closer to him. She looked at the man and then at the blanket clutched tightly in her small fist. Smiling she made her way over to the man and placed the blanket over his lap.

“It’s cold out.” She stated matter-of-factly. “You should cover up.”

She then turned from the alley and grabbed hold of her father’s hand once again.

****December 1999****

Buffy lay on Angel’s massive bed in the mansion waiting for him to come out of the shower. Deciding it was too cold for just the one blanket and not wanting to ruin his perfectly made bed she went to the big closet to search for another. After digging around blindly on the top shelf she felt something soft and warm against her finger. Pulling it down she gasped. Confused she exited the closet at the same time Angel came out of the bathroom.

“Where did you get this, Angel?” Buffy asked holding out the small blanket.

Angel blushed and took it from her hands.

“It’s my security…” they both started.

“Yours?” Angel asked incredulously realizing what she had said.

“Yeah,” Buffy replied, “But I lost it when I was just little. When we were in New York.”

Angel shook his head. “You didn’t lose it Buffy. Do you remember that trip to New York?”

Buffy looked confused before her eyes lighted up excitedly.

“I-I gave it to a homeless man in an alley. I remember. My dad had stopped by a vendor and had let go of my hand. I sneaked down an alley and there was a man”

“And you covered his legs with the blanket. ‘It’s cold out. You should cover up’. You told me.”

Buffy smiled, amazed. “I can’t believe this. It was you…you didn’t tell me?”

“I didn’t know. In fact I kind of forgot about the blanket until I saw you with it tonight.”

Buffy laughed and wrapped her arms around him.

“Do you want it back?” Angel asked after kissing the top of her head.

Buffy shook her head and draped the blanket over his shoulders. “Wouldn’t want to be an Indian giver now would I?”

Angel smiled and kissed her again, then picked her up and lay her on the bed. Lying down next to her he removed the blanket from around his shoulders and draped it over the two of them the best he could.

”It can be *our* security blanket.”

Buffy smiled and cuddled against him. Together they fell into a peaceful slumber with their security blanket draped over them.

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