SUMMARY: Buffy discusses her disaster date with a beautiful stranger
SPOILER: Never Kill A Boy On The First Date
DISTRIBUTION: Sure, just email me & lmk where it's going - I like seeing my name in print =) My site - http://planetslaythis.homestead.com
FEEDBACK: Please, I'd hate to have to Slay for it. =P
RATING: TV-PG
DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters, Joss Whedon does. If he ever decides to give them to me, that would be nice. =) 'Beautiful Stranger' is by Madonna, from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. These movies drive me crazy, but that song rules. 5/31/01

Angel watched Buffy patrol from afar for twenty minutes before beginning to follow her. She was entering the worst part of Sunnydale, the darkest cemetery, the loneliest streets.

And she looked like she could use a friend.

//Haven't we met
You're some kind of beautiful stranger
You could be good for me
I've had the taste for danger\\

Buffy felt Angel behind her before he ever made his presence known. She thought he would make her uneasy, but there was a calm that came along with having someone there as she strolled the dark streets looking for those ugly things that go bump in the night.

//If I'm smart then I'll run away
But I'm not so I guess I'll stay
Heaven forbid
I'll take my chance on a beautiful stranger\\

"You shouldn't sneak up on innocent young girls like that," Buffy began to walk backwards so she could face Angel. "Could get you hurt."

Angel resisted the urge to flirt with her. "I'll take my chances."

"You're out early," Buffy commented. "Not that I'm complaining," she added quickly.

"I just wanted to walk," he glanced behind him, thinking he heard something. "Figured it'd be nice to have company."

Buffy smiled.

//I looked into your eyes
And my world came tumbling down
You're the devil in disguise
That's why I'm singing this song\\

"So do you always sneak up on the Slayer when she's in town, or am I special?" Buffy asked, instantly regretting the words.

"You're special," Angel stopped walking and Buffy stood not five inches from him. "I thought you looked sad."

"We're getting personal now?" she started walking again and he had to run at first to keep up. "Mr. I-Don't-Have-A-Last-Name wants to talk about my mood now? I'm not into it. I like to keep my patrol conversation topics to vampires and other ickies."

"I don't wanna talk if you don't want to," Angel said. "I just thought you looked like you could use a friend."

"I have plenty of friends," she stared at him. "You're not one of them."

"Is that negotiable?" Angel wondered.

//To know you is to love you
You're everywhere I go
And everybody knows\\

Buffy stared at Angel with such fire in her eyes. Such anger and fury and lust. God, he wanted to kiss her.

Wanted to feel her warm lips on his cold ones. Wanted to embrace her and run his fingers through her long hair and hold her until the sun was ready to rise.

Instead, he began walking again. "I hear something."

//To love you is to be part of you
I've paid for you with tears
And swallowed all my pride

Da-da-da-dum da-dum da-dum da da da-da dum
Beautiful stranger
Da-da-da-dum da-dum da-dum da da da-da dum
Beautiful stranger\\

"It's to the right," Buffy said, her spider senses telling her where to go. "And there's two of them."

"I'll go left, you go right," Angel directed.

Buffy pulled out a stake and looked at him. "Out of the two of us, who's packing?"

"You."

"I'll go left," Buffy corrected. As she stalked towards the vampire locale, she couldn't help noticing Angel's muscles through his duster. She wondered how good he might look in a button-up silk shirt and jeans.

She wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

//If I'm smart then I'll run away
But I'm not so I guess I'll stay
Haven't you heard I fell in love with a beautiful stranger
I looked into your face
My heart was dancing all over the place
I'd like to change my point of view
If I could just forget about you\\

"That was easy," Buffy brushed herself off and glanced at Angel. "Sorry I sorta took over there."

"It's okay," he smiled. "I was watching."

//I looked into your eyes
And my world came tumbling down
You're the devil in disguise
That's why I'm singing this song to you\\

"I already have one Watcher," Buffy commented. "I don't need another."

"I'd never think of training with a punching bag and shin guards," Angel said, almost smirking. "I'm more the train-in-the-field type."

"Good thing," Buffy said. "Duck."

Angel ducked and Buffy kicked a vamp leaping at them from a tree in the chin, shattering his jaw. She followed that with a knee to the groin and when he was on the ground, she dusted him.

"Now," Angel stood and gave her a smirk. "Wanna tell me what's been bothering you?"

"What makes you think something's bothering me?" Buffy asked innocently.

"You were stomping on that vampire's dust."

//Da-da-da-dum da-dum da-dum da da da-da dum
Beautiful stranger
Da-da-da-dum da-dum da-dum da da da-da dum
Beautiful stranger\\

"I just had a revelation is all," Buffy explained as they began walking again.

"About?" Angel pressed.

Buffy sighed. "My life is not normal. I've tried to have friends, I've tried to be sixteen, but it just won't happen. I put someone I hardly knew in danger and I have to realize that my lot in life is not to be Homecoming Queen."

"Looks good on a resume though," Angel commented.

"Wow. A sense of humor. I thought all your thoughts were serious."

"One slips out on me now and then. I won't let it happen again."

Buffy smiled. "See that it doesn't."

//I've paid for you with tears
And swallowed all my pride\\

Angel wanted to kiss her desperately. He was so crazy about Buffy, he could hardly stand it.

And he knew she didn't feel the same.

She smiled at him, danced as she walked, made sure to toss her hair now and then.

But that was just Buffy being Buffy. There was no emotion there for him.

No special bond to be formed forever by the Slayer and her vampire lover.

There was just friendship. And if that was all Angel could have, he'd take it.

//I looked into your eyes
And my world came tumbling down
You're the devil in disguise
That's why I'm singing this song\\

Buffy's stomach was full of butterflies. Her heart was racing and her blood boiling.

She knew this feeling well.

She was crushing on Angel, and she was crushing hard.

Buffy allowed herself to close her eyes and fantasize about the mystery man as they walked back towards the library, where she would check in with Giles and then walk home. She threw Angel a glance, then slipped her hand inside his.

It was a start.

//Da-da-da-dum da-dum da-dum da da da-da dum
Beautiful stranger
Da-da-da-dum da-dum da-dum da da da-da dum
Beautiful stranger\\

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