Rating: PG-14
Distribution: If you want it, just drop me a line and ask first please.
Time: High School sometime. Around season 1 or 2. Sort of irrelevant.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the title and my ideas. The rest belongs to.. well, other people.
Summary: Buffy is a seer (NO, not like Cordy). She meets Angel. Stuff happens.
Author’s note: This idea came totally from nowhere. Have had it for a long time, but only just started writing it. Hope you like it.
Pairings: Buffy/Angel Giles/Jenny Willow/Oz Xander/Cordelia
Feedback: My first passion is writing, my second is feedback. The first needs the second to survive.

Part 1

“Do you have any idea how entirely wrong that is?”

Xander rolled his eyes, “Hey, don’t go all Saint Buffy on me. Like you wouldn’t have done the same if in the same scenario.”

Buffy stared at him dubiously, “Yeah because I just can’t sleep at night because of the primal urges to make out with Cordelia in the back seat of my parent’s car while they’re making a bathroom break.”

“Okay, I so do not want to know what you perverts are talking about,” Cordelia Chase piped in as she walked over to where Buffy and Xander sat on the bench.

Xander carried on, oblivious to his girlfriend’s presence, “Okay, Mr Chase has bowel… issues… I assumed they’d be gone for a little while longer than 2 minutes and 30 seconds!”

Buffy arched an eyebrow, “You timed it?”

“Uh, HELLO?!”

Xander spun round from his place, “Cordelia!” he laughed nervously, “Just exactly how long have you been standing there?”

She scowled, “Long enough.” Xander turned his head round to Buffy, raising his eyes in a silent prayer to God. She stifled a laugh as Cordelia continued to talk, “It’s bad enough that the whole disgusting experience had to happen, but now we’re going public about it?! Honestly, Xander Harris, you’re just too much someti-mmph.”

Xander finally ended her rant, forcing his lips onto hers, “Hey honey,” he said, pulling away, “Good day?”

Cordelia’s scowl, whilst still plastered to her face, had softened slightly, “Yeah, until you started making a screen-play of last night.”

Buffy leaned back against the bench as the couple continued to banter. She closed her eyes, smiling at the bright red light that continued to shimmer round her two friends.

“Uh, Buffy, can you please not do the aura thing? It really freaks me out when you look in me like that.”

Buffy opened her eyes again, meeting Cordelia’s, “Who says I was looking in? I was just enjoying the sun,” she said reaching into her bag and pulling out a pair of sunglasses. She slid them over her eyes, “See?”

Xander reached over and pulled the glasses off, leaving Buffy squinting wildly, “Whatever Buff, nobody falls for the sunglasses thing anymore. We know when you’re doing it, you have a look.”

Buffy pouted, “A look? Well sure, make me feel like a freak why don’t you.”

“Well you kind of are a freak Buffy,” Cordelia piped up.

“Thank you once again Cordelia for your brutal and yet refreshing honesty.”

“Hey! She might be a freak, but she’s our freak!” Xander grinned, pulling Buffy to him and hugging her tightly.

Buffy shrugged away, “Oh great, so now I’m a possession?” She felt a hand slam onto her back and jumped.

Faith smirked, “Mine, B, always mine.”

Buffy scowled, swinging round to face her, “Do you have to be so damn stealthy?”

Faith raised her arms above her head, striking an exaggerated pose, “Part of the job.”

Cordelia rolled her eyes, “What, is that like in the slayer’s handbook?”

“Oooh, you finally got one?”

The gang turned to see where the new voice had come from. Willow stood to the left of them, Oz with her, his arm draped round her shoulder.

“Jeez, no. Now I can’t be a mini Kendra. Now my life is over,” Faith said sarcastically. She reached for Buffy’s hand and pulled her up from the bench, “Come on, Giles wants to see you.”

Buffy reluctantly got to her feet, pushing her bag over her shoulder, “Urgh, now what test does he want to run on me?”

Faith smirked again, “Negative. He wants your help with Ms Calendar.”

Buffy made a face, “Ewww, match-maker for the oldies.”

Xander leapt to his feet and lay a hand on Buffy’s shoulder supportively, “Don’t do it Buff, whatever line he uses on you, ignore it!”

**

“Okay, fine, I’ll do it.”

Giles’ face lit up, “Ah, excellent. Thank you Buffy.”

She pouted, “Can I at least charge you?”

“I don’t know how entirely happy the Powers that Be would be to know their primary love seer was charging at an hourly rate.”

Buffy raised her eyebrows, “Hey, the jobs I am obliged to do are the ones I get in visions. The ones that are destined, the ones that without which, the world would inevitably be doomed. I am not the librarian’s match-maker.”

Giles looked rather taken aback, “Well, yes, but when you think of all the help I have given you in uh.. in your path for redemption.”

She ignored him, “In fact this could even constitute as using my power for evil. I could be breaking a rule, Giles!” she exclaimed, feigning horror.

“There’s no need for sarcasm.”

Buffy slid from the table she was sitting on and stood up to face him, “Oh there’s every need. Look, I’ll do it, but both of our lives would be a lot easier if you just stopped putting your foot in it with Ms Calendar.” She frowned, “Foot in what? Where does that expression even come from?”

Giles began to clean his glasses on his tie, “I haven’t put my foot in anything, Jenny still loves me just as she always did.”

Buffy gawked at him, “Then why are you making me look at her aura?!”

He looked at the floor sheepishly, “I just want to double check.”

Buffy rolled her eyes and gathered her things preparing to leave when Faith burst through the door, Xander and Willow in tow.

“Heads up Giles, we got a problem.”

**

“Ah here it is, Angelus… also known as the scrooge of Europe.”

Faith stared at Giles as she waited for an explanation, “Hey, Giles, a little more background would be nice.”

Giles remained motionless as he stared into the book. Willow rolled her eyes and grabbed it from him. Her eyes scanned the page.

“Okay… oh wow. Okay, it says he was the most evil and powerful vamps throughout the entire 19th Century.” She looked up at the faces of her friends, “That can’t be good right?”

Giles removed his glasses and threw them haphazardly onto the table, “No, I don’t think it can be.”

Xander pulled his arm from around Cordelia’s waist, “Hey Will, you said the 19th Century? What’s been his deal for the 20th?”

Buffy looked up from the book she was studying, “There’s no record of any activity.”

Cordelia smiled triumphantly, “So he’s dead!”

Faith got up from her chair and stared to pace round the room, “He looked pretty active from where I was standing.”

Giles looked up at her, “And you say he attacked you?”

“Yeah.. I was slaying the vamps, doing my thing when all of a sudden this guy throws himself at me.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Cordelia muttered bitterly.

Faith glared at her, “Yo, C, do me a favour and shut up.” She picked up her pace again, “Anyway as I was saying, he attacked me, we threw a few punches and then he split.”

Giles frowned, “Split?”

“Left,” Buffy filled in without looking up from her book.

“You let him leave?” Giles asked incredulously.

“Reality-check? He’s a vamp. They run. Fast.”

Xander clapped his hands together, “So I say we gather the troops, gather some weapons and go get this ‘Angelus’”

“Uh huh, because we know where he lives,” Buffy said, examining her nails distractedly.

“Actually I tracked him,” replied Faith, “He lives in an apartment down by the Bronze.”

“A vampire in an apartment. How times have changed.” Oz spoke up, his arm still firmly attached to Willow’s waist.

“Wow Oz, that was almost an emotion. You know, shock?” Cordelia said.

Willow’s eyes narrowed, “Are you campaigning for Bitch of the year, Cordelia?”

“Hey!”

“Children!” Giles interrupted, halting the bicker, “Get some weapons. We need to tackle this.. situation... sooner rather than later.”

The gang wordlessly stood up, and headed for the door. Buffy hung back. Faith strode off with her watcher, Giles, and the other four were divided into the two separate couples.

“Always left in the background,” she muttered to herself as she threw a couple of crosses into her bag and headed for the door.

**

By the time Buffy got near to the Bronze, having been distracted by some divine looking shoes, the noise emanating from the blacked out club seemed to indicate that a battle was in full swing. She rushed inside, her eyes widening as she saw her friends desperately trying to attack who she assumed to be Angelus.

Cordelia stumbled back towards her, “Where the hell have you been?!”

Buffy blinked at her, “I was shopping, I didn’t think anyone would notice if I wasn’t here.”

“This guy is like maxi-strong, Buffy! Faith could be in real trouble.”

Buffy’s eyes widened as she switched her line of viewpoint from Cordelia, to Faith who was standing on top of a pool table exchanging blows with tall, leather-clad man. He appeared to have the upper hand until Giles fired a crossbow at him, narrowly missing his heart, but nevertheless flooring him.

Faith yanked a stake from her waistband and launched herself at ‘Angelus’, her arm raised above her head, poised for the kill.

Buffy and Cordelia rushed forward to the rest of their friends, who were nervously huddled together clutching stakes. Buffy felt a tingle deep down in her gut. Her eyes slammed shut as her head was suddenly wracked with a skull shattering pain. She cried out, holding both hands to her head. As the pain eased, Buffy forced her eyes open to see a pale misty aura in the form of Angelus. He had… a soul? She shook her head frantically and focused on Faith as she lowered the stake.

“Faith, No!”

Faith’s hand halted long enough for Angelus to push her out of the way and leap back to his feet. He backed towards the wall, holding his hands up as if in defeat.

Buffy rushed forwards and grabbed Faith’s arm, “He’s not evil.”

Faith stared incredulously at her as Giles threw in, “He’s a vampire!”

Buffy ran her free hand through her hair, “I know! But he’s not evil… I think he has a soul.”

“She’d be right,” Angelus muttered quietly.

Faith shook her arm free from Buffy’s grasp, “What difference does that make? He’s a vamp. I’m a slayer. I slay vamps, therefore he’s dust.”

Buffy leapt forward and grabbed the stake from her hand, “Everybody put their weapons down!”

Willow stared at her, “Buffy, I mean you’re my best friend and all, but are you CRAZY?!”

“Just give him a chance,” Buffy replied, the volume of her voice lowering.

One by one, her friends’ weapons clattered to the floor. There was silence.

Buffy looked up at the confused vamp, “Now would be your 10 seconds to convince us not to kill you.”

Angel stared at her stony face, as she stood facing him, arms crossed, expecting an explanation.

“I do have a soul. When you become a vampire the demon takes your body, but it doesn't get your soul. That's gone! No conscience, no remorse... It's an easy way to live,” He reached behind his back and pulled the arrow from him, his face contorting in pain, “I got my soul back. You have no idea what it's like to have done the things I've done... and to care. I haven't fed on a living human being since that day.”

Faith laughed quietly and strutted over to where Angel stood, “So you thought you’d start with me?”

Angel continued to stare her down, “I thought you were a vampire. You’re strong. I can sense it.”

The group stared at Angel in silence. Buffy felt a twinge at her heart as she thought about what he had to deal with. Somebody had taken his body for a ride, given it back and left him to deal with the guilt. She drew in a sharp intake of breath.

“Come on, we’re leaving,” Giles said, interrupting her thoughts and causing the entire gang to turn and face him. When they turned back, Angel was gone.

Xander threw his hands up in mock defeat, “That guy needs a little bell on collar.”

“Damn,” Faith exhaled as she picked up her stake, “That’s some heavy shit to take in.”

Willow retreated nearer to Oz, “Tell me about it. Is it wrong that I feel sorry for a vampire?”

Oz shook his head silently, pulling her close to him as the group gathered their weapons. One by one, they headed towards the exit.

Faith walked past Buffy, who was leaning against a wall, overwhelmed by what she had heard from the mysterious man who called himself Angel, “You coming, B?”

“Yeah… I’ll be right out.”

Faith shrugged and joined the rest of the group outside, leaving Buffy alone. The voices got quieter and quieter until they eventually stopped altogether. She slowly slid to the floor, her arms wrapped round herself as, yet again, she was left behind.

“How did you know?”

Buffy looked up from the floor as Angel stepped from the shadows, “Know what?”

She shivered as he walked nearer towards her, “That I had a soul.”

Buffy let out a bitter laugh, “Long story.”

“I’m not getting any older.”

Buffy stared into his deep, brown eyes, feeling an overwhelming feeling of trust for this man.

“You ever heard of a love seer?”

Angel’s brow furrowed, “I thought they were just a myth?”

“Nope. All real. In every generation there are loves that change the world. There shall be one girl who receives visions of these loves. She alone must do all she can to bring these two lovers together. It is her duty,” She let out a sigh, “Her god-damned destiny.”

Angel let out a heavy sigh, as he slid down the floor next to her. Despite his coldness, Buffy felt a warmth as his body moved closer to hers.

“You can see into people.”

Buffy nodded, loosening her grip on her body, “I can see the representation of souls, auras. I can see if a person is good, or bad. And I can tell when two aura’s match together as soul-mates,” Buffy’s mind flashed to the red aura’s she’d seen around Xander and Cordelia earlier that day, “And I can see when two people are in love.”

Angel blinked at this intake of information, “And you get sent visions of people and have to bring them together?” he asked.

“That’s about the gist of it.”

“Or?”

Buffy turned to look at him, her eyes meeting his, “They send me somewhere I don’t want to be.”

“Where?”

She dismissed the question, “Another thing about me that I might have forgotten to mention; I’m technically dead.”

Angel reeled back, “But you have a heartbeat.”

Buffy slid her hand up her chest to rest over the point where she felt a steady beat, “Noticed that huh?” He didn’t respond so she carried on, “I got killed in my freshman year of high school by a vamp. Went to this place and I was given a choice. Apparently I was sort of special, or something. I could go to heaven or come back as a love seer.”

“And you chose the latter.”

Buffy wrapped her arms around herself again as she felt his eyes burn into her, “Being the foolish, stupid little girl that I was, I decided I wasn’t done living yet. Now I won’t ever stop.”

“You’re immortal.”

“Unless I fail in my duty. Then I die again. Except I don’t get the option of heaven this time, I go to-”

“Hell.”

Buffy nodded slowly, “Yeah. And I really don’t want to do that.” She sighed, “I was young, I didn’t comprehend the deal of becoming a love seer at the time. I didn’t realise what it meant for me. Now the only way I can get out of this deal is if I do what the PTB deem worthy to become human again. And that might not happen before I manage to screw up.”

Angel stared down at his hands, “I’m sorry.”

Buffy let out a laugh, “Yeah well, I brought it on myself. Kind of ironic.”

Angel failed to respond so she stood up hastily, “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

He looked up at her, “Maybe.”

She gave him one last reluctant glance as she walked away, unbeknownst that his misty white aura, was very slowly turning to a pale shade of red.

Part 2

Faith turned a spinning kick and plunged her stake into yet another vampire’s heart, watching as he turned to dust and settled on the ground. Satisfied, she dusted her hands off on her leather pants and walked over to where Buffy sat on a headstone.

“Impressive,” she said as Faith approached.

“Yeah, well, somebody’s gotta show the meaning of the word dead to these guys that are dead in the first place.”

Buffy frowned, “That made little sense.”

Faith snorted and swung her leg over the headstone so she was sat facing Buffy, “So, B,” she said, unwrapping a stick of gum and popping it in her mouth, “What’s the deal with you and Angel?”

Buffy raised an eyebrow, “The deal? There is no deal.”

Faith popped her gum loudly, “Really. So how come you didn’t come back from the Bronze for like a half hour after we left?”

Buffy grumpily pushed herself off the headstone and walked away slightly, “I told you. I got distracted.”

Faith followed suit, jumping off the headstone and marching over to where Buffy stood, “By Angel.”

“Fine,” Buffy held her hands up in defeat, “But we were just talking. Jeez, he’s a vampire, for crying out loud.”

Faith’s lips quirked into a smirk, “He’s a hotty.”

“I… I wouldn’t say that.”

“Oh come on, Buffy, you practically had to wipe the drool off your face.”

“Alright, fine, he’s gorgeous,” Buffy said as the two girls started to walk away together, “But in a really annoying sort of way.”

“I knew it!” Faith said, “You wanna get groiny with him!”

Buffy opened her mouth in protest when she was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice, “That’s an interesting last choice of words, lady.”

Faith rolled her eyes and slowly turned round to face a vampire, “You guys are so unoriginal. It’s the same line over and over aga-.” She stopped suddenly as the vampire threw a punch at her, knocking her halfway across the graveyard. “Faith!” Buffy yelled, backing away as fast as she could from the approaching vamp. She darted her eyes to the left of him to see Faith throwing punches at another three vampires who were surrounding her.

“Looks like it’s just you and me sweetheart,” the vamp said as he grabbed hold of Buffy’s throat. Her eyes widened in terror as she choked against his hold.

“Wouldn’t be so sure about that.” The vampire was pulled away from Buffy who collapsed on the ground, coughing. She looked up just as Angel plunged a stake into the vampire’s chest.

He rushed over, joined by Faith who had just dusted the last three vampires, “B! Are you okay?”

She got to her feet and dusted off her coat, “I’m fine.”

Her eyes met Angel, who was staring at her with an overwhelming expression of concern, “Are you sure?” he asked, reaching out and grasping her arm. She shrugged him away quickly, “I’m sure.”

Faith backed of, turning around slowly and checking out her surroundings, “What was that? Is it gang vamp night and I just didn’t get the memo?”

Angel didn’t take his eyes off Buffy who was looking away uncomfortably, “They were some of Spike’s boys.”

Faith grabbed his shoulder and spun him round to face her, “Spike? But I killed him. Like three months ago.”

He ran his hand through and over his hair, “Killed him? You saw his body turn to dust?”

“No but-”

“Then he’s still alive. His minions wouldn’t be hunting together if he was dead, they’d want every body for themselves.”

“Vampires are such jerks,” Buffy muttered from behind them.

Angel turned around and looked at her, looking hurt.

She ignored him and walked over to Faith, “I’m going home, Faith, you should go see Giles, tell him what’s what.”

Faith shook her head, “B, you’re not going home on your own, not now.”

“I’ll take her.” Angel butted in.

Buffy ignored him, “Fine, walk me home, then go see Giles.”

Faith smirked, a plan emerging in her mind, “No, I don’t have time for that, go with Angel.”

Buffy widened her eyes at Faith, aware of what she was doing, “No –”

“See you guys!” Faith yelled behind her as she ran off into the night.

“Looks like it’s just us again.”

Buffy closed her eyes momentarily and then turned around to face Angel, “Looks like.”

They walked silently, keeping a safe distance between them.

“So…” Angel said, breaking the silence.

Buffy didn’t reply.

“How’s… stuff?” he continued.

“Fine.”

He nodded, “That’s good.”

There was another long silence.

“Had any visions lately?”

She stopped walking, “What’s your deal?”

He quirked an eyebrow, “My deal?”

“Yeah, the questions, the showing of interest?”

He shoved his hands in his pockets, “I was just being polite.”

“Being polite would be not talking.” Buffy said haughtily as she started to walk on again.

“Maybe I like you.”

She stopped once more, “Maybe?”

Angel simply strode on past her, “Which way now?”

**

They finally reached Buffy’s house, Buffy so dumbstruck that she was walking much slower than she would normally.

“This is me,” she said nervously as they stopped outside her door.

Angel stared into her eyes, “I should go…”

She didn’t say anything and he continued, “I really shouldn’t be around you.”

Buffy frowned, “No big, I shouldn’t be around you either, I’ve got a job to do, I don’t need any extra distraction-” He cut her off, descending his lips to hers. She twined her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer to him.

“Buffy?”

She abruptly pulled away to see her mother standing in the doorway, looking amused. She folded her arms and stared at her daughter and the young man she was now standing awkwardly next to, “Are you coming inside?”

Buffy smiled nervously, “Just a minute, Mom.”

Joyce Summers chuckled quietly to herself as she walked back inside, closing the door behind her.

Buffy turned back to Angel, keeping her eyes anywhere but on him, “I better go inside.”

He caught her chin in his hand and tilted her head up, forcing her to look at him, “Hey, what’s the matter?”

She stared into his eyes, “I – I can’t be around you either. I have a job to do, I can’t let anything stop me from doing it or,” she closed her eyes in pain, “You know what will happen.”

Angel brushed his thumb over her cheek, “I’ll help you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

Buffy opened her eyes again, “Why?” she whispered, “You don’t even know me.”

He kissed her again, sweeping his lips over hers, “Yes I do.” Her eyes remained closed as she let the feeling of being so close to him sweep over her. When she opened her eyes again, he’d already gone.

She sighed and pushed the door open, “I hate it when he does that.”

**

“What do you mean I can’t come patrolling with you?!”

Faith rolled her eyes at Buffy, “Have you had a mental blackout over that little detail of you nearly getting killed last night? You’re not coming, I’m not risking my friends.”

“I can take care of myself!” Buffy argued.

“Yeah, great taking care of yourself last night, B.” The two girls strode across the sunnydale campus, “Besides, you just wanna see if Angel shows up.”

“That is not true,” Buffy huffed, “I just want to help you kill the bad guys. You know, I can help, I can see which ones are in love with each other.”

Faith let out a laugh, “Oh yeah, big help! Don’t think Willow didn’t tell me about you two and the smoochies. But you’re still not coming on patrol.”

Buffy’s eyes widened, “She told you?”

Faith ignored the question, “Why don’t you just go see him? You know where he lives.”

“I can’t do that… that would display interest. And I can’t be interested in him.” She sighed, “I can’t have a relationship with anyone, let alone a vampire…”

“Why not?” Faith asked, “He could be an asset to you, help you get to people faster.”

“Okay now you sound like him.”

“Sound like who?” Xander butted in as he bounded over to him.

“Nobody,” Buffy said at the same time as Faith, “Her smoochie buddy.”

Xander’s eyes widened, “Buffy got a beau?!”

Buffy rolled her eyes, “No,” again being covered by Faith’s, “Angel.”

Xander raised his eyebrows, “Angel? As in the vampire?”

Buffy pouted, “There’s no smoochies! It’s all perfectly innocent.”

“Liar,” Faith shouted as she walked away leaving Buffy alone with Xander.

“Buffy…” Xander began, “I don’t mean to start a pattern of people saying this to you, but ARE you crazy?”

Buffy glared at him, and then strode off after Faith, leaving him in the middle of the courtyard in his state of disbelief.

Part 3

“It’s gotta be D,” Buffy muttered, “There hasn’t been one of those for a long time.”

Faith shoved Buffy lightly, “Look, I let you come with, but all this schoolage is distracting me!”

Buffy closed her SAT practice paper and gave her a haughty look, “Distracting you from what exactly?”

Faith shifted uncomfortably, “From sussing whether the spider on my boot is actually alive or not.”

Buffy shrieked, “Spider?! Get rid of it!”

Faith rolled her eyes and pushed herself up to her feet, “You think you can handle yourself against a bunch of vamps if you can’t even handle a spider?”

“Whatever, spiders are all.. leggy.” she shuddered, “Besides, it’s totally dead tonight.”

Faith spun a stake in her hand, “No, it’s totally alive. If it was dead I would have staked *something* by now.”

Buffy smirked, “Feeling a little slayorny are we?”

Faith quirked an eyebrow, “Excuse me?”

“You know, slay… horny…”

“I like it,” came a voice from behind Buffy.

She shrieked out at the intrusion and went toppling over the back of the headstone only to land half way down onto a pair of strong arms.

She blinked and looked up in surprise at the face staring back at her, “Angel,” she muttered breathlessly, her mind immediately drifting back to the events of the night before.

“Buffy,” he replied, heaving her up into a standing position. They stood and stared at each other for a moment until Faith, with an exasperated sigh butted into their silence, “Look,” she said, reaching into her back pocket, “Here’s five dollars,” she handed the money to Angel, “Take her to the bronze, buy her a coffee, walk her home.”

Buffy spun around and positively snarled at Faith, “Don’t you think he’s perfectly capable of making his own decisions?”

She snorted in response, “Apparently not, or you two would be getting down and dirty with each other by now.”

Buffy opened her mouth in protest but Angel clamped a hand over it, using his other hand to pass the money back to Faith, “Thanks for the tip, but I can pay myself.”

“Well I don’t know what kind of goods you vampires carry round with you,” Faith muttered.

Angel removed his hand from Buffy’s mouth, “As a rule, they don’t. They tend to kill for what they want.”

“Charming,” Buffy grumbled, annoyed at their blatancy of controlling her life, and yet secretly thrilled that she was about to go on a date with Angel. So thrilled in fact that she grabbed Angel’s hand and began to march off, “Come on, let’s leave Slay Girl to slay.”

“Hey!” Faith yelled behind them, “That’s Miss Slay Girl to you!”

As soon as they were out of sight, Buffy conveniently having not let go of Angel’s hand, he grabbed her other in his and pulled her to him, slanting his lips over hers.

She moaned quietly, already becoming accustomed to the feel of Angel’s lips on hers – and loving it.

Eventually he pulled away, leaving her in her cataclysmic state, lips bruised and parted, eyes closed to the world. Eyes closed. She frowned, not opening them, but yet sensing Angel standing in front of her. Suddenly she was hit with a blinding pain between her eyes, doubling her over with the intensity of it, forcing her body to the ground, her hands clutching the earth. Angel rushed to her side, crouching down on the ground beside her, frantically cupping her face in his hands.

“Buffy!” he yelled, trying to bring her back to him.

She lifted her head up, her eyes still remaining closed, but yet she could still see something. She felt sick to the pit of her stomach as she saw a brilliant red light hovering over where she could only assume Angel to be standing. She opened her eyes, only to have her worst fears confirmed. There, Angel stood, exactly at the point where she had seen the red light. The red light that only meant one thing.

STOP.

Shakily, she got to her feet, Angel holding onto her arms in an attempt not to lose hold of her. Buffy stared at him in horror.

“You… you love me.”

Angel reeled back in shock, silenced by her words.

Buffy took two steps back from him, “You can’t… you’re not supposed to love me!” her voice began to rise to a shout, “This was just a bit of fun! You know… you know I can’t be distracted… you have to… you have to go! I can’t… you can’t love me!”

Angel shortened the distance between them and cupped her chin in his hand, “I’d never let anything happen to you. I’d die before that.”

Buffy shrugged him off, turning her head away, “You’re right. You’d die. I’d die. And I’m not ready for either of those things to happen. This can’t ever happen, Angel.”

Angel’s face contorted into an expression of pain, “You just said it, you’re not ready for me to die. Surely that means someth-”

“I don’t care!” Buffy yelled out, tears beginning to run down her cheeks, forming pools on the ground, “I can’t do this, just stay away from me!”

She made a move to run away but Angel grabbed her arm and spun her round to face him, “I love you.”

Her heart broke at the words out loud. She closed her eyes, desperately trying to regain her composure and at the same time ignore the red light surrounding Angel, which if possible, had got even brighter, “Everybody loves, Angel, sometimes it’s just not important.”

His eyes spoke more depths than he ever could as he looked at her desperately, “I’ve known you a minute part of my life, but I know I need you for more of it. It might not seem universally important, but maybe it’s important to me.”

She wrenched her arm free from his grip, “Maybe that’s not enough.” She spun on her heel and ran, leaving Angel standing, devastated, to the spot. She managed to get barely 50 yards away when she collapsed to the ground, clutching her head in her hands.

“Buffy!” Angel yelled, rushing towards her, skidding along the ground on his knees, as he lowered himself next to her. He grabbed her hands in his wrists, desperately searching her face for information, “What happened?”

She choked down a sob, so overwhelmed by his underlying care for her, despite her rejection of him, “Vision. Standard procedure. I gotta go.”

Angel refused to let her leave, holding her to him, “Let me help you. Please.”

She stared up into his eyes, desperately not wanting to let him go, but at the same time, needing to, “Once. Then that’s it. Then you go.”

He let go of her arms, looking dejected, “Okay.”

Not loosing eye contact, she got to her feet and held out her hand to him. He took it and pushed himself up. There were no words exchanged as they walked wordlessly through the cemetery.

Angel stared up into the sky, silently pleading with anyone who would listen to be able to change her mind and make her see that they needed each other. Before it was too late.

Part 4

“Okay, you see him over there? With the 80s retro look going on.” Buffy muttered into Angel’s chest, “I’ve got to get him, to go and talk to her,” she tilted her head in the direction of a pretty blonde sitting alone on a stool near the back of the bronze.

Angel didn’t respond. His eyes were too fixed on his own pretty blonde, pressed up against his body, slowly swaying with him in time to the music blasting out of the club speakers.

They’d arrived at the Bronze, Buffy certain that’s where she would find her couple, and immediately began to dance as an attempt to conceal what they were intending to do.

Neither was complaining.

Buffy looked up at Angel, silently questioning his lack of response. She received nothing in reply but an intense stare. She tore her eyes away from him and looked back at the man standing at the bar.

Finally breaking his silence Angel said, “What’s so special about these two? They hardly look like a love to change all time.”

“I don’t ask questions, I just do the job.” Buffy replied. She looked from the man to the woman and pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, chewing on it lightly, “I don’t know how I’m going to work this,” she whispered.

Again, Angel didn’t respond, instead soothingly rubbing his hand up and down her back. He brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face with his hand, “Just take your time.”

Buffy shuddered at the touch as an electric spark seemed to shoot off inside of her.

The song ended and Buffy watched the man sidle away from the bar, seemingly about to pass the blonde by.

Buffy ripped herself away from Angel’s arms and paced over to an empty table. She looked around frantically before eyeing a half empty coffee cup. She snatched it up into her hand and headed over to where the man had briefly paused, staring at something that was hidden to Buffy by his tall form.

“Buffy!” she heard Angel call from behind her. Ignoring him, Buffy casually walked over to the man and placed the cup in his hands, before ‘accidentally’ tripping over and knocking the man to the floor, sending the tepid coffee flying over the blonde girl.

Satisfied, Buffy rushed away from the scene, “That ought to get them talking to each other.”

She concealed herself behind a pillar and watched as the two people began to converse. Buffy’s eyes widened in horror as she saw the woman haughtily stand up and walk away, leaving the man on his knees clutching a wad of paper towels.

“Oh my god,” she whispered, rushing towards the woman when she was knocked to the ground. Buffy looked up and around her to see what had knocked her over when she was hit with a blinding pain in her head. She screamed out with the agony of it, collapsing in a flattened heap on the floor. This was it. She’d actually gone and screwed it up.

From the other side of the room, Angel saw his beloved fall to the floor, “Fuck… Buffy,” he whispered, beginning to rush over to her, when out of the corner of his eye he saw the blonde woman about to leave the club.

Torn between trying to help his love in her current situation, or potentially save her life, he rushed over to the woman.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” he said, taking hold of her arm.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m the manager, I saw what happened with the coffee,” Angel said, desperately hoping to pass as one of the members of staff, “If you’d just come with me, we’ll get you another drink and write you a cheque for the dry cleaning.”

The woman hesitated, striking panic deep in Angel’s heart but then nodded, “Thanks.”

Letting out a sigh of relief, Angel led the woman over to the table where the ‘80s retro’ man sat, “I’ll just get you two some coffees, and sort that cheque out.”

The man looked up in surprise at Angel, and then at the woman sitting next to him.

Mentally crossing his fingers, Angel turned and walked towards the bar. From behind him he heard the man say, “Sorry about before, I don’t know what happened.”

“Hey, that’s okay.” the woman replied, “I’m Sarah.”

“Greg.”

Satisfied, Angel’s mind snapped back to Buffy. He scanned the club frantically, finally eyeing her, still in a heap on the floor, a crowd of people surrounding her with concerned looks on their faces.

“Hey, is she okay?” Sarah called out. Angel spun around and saw her heading towards him.

“She’s fine!” he exclaimed, “Please, go back to your table.”

The woman shrugged and headed back over to where ‘Greg’ sat, where they continued to converse.

Angel gave them one last fleeting, yet desperate, look and rushed over to where Buffy lay on the ground.

“Give her some space!” he growled at the gathering crowd, his eyes flashing yellow with the combined anger and fear.

He hoisted Buffy up into a half sitting position and ran his hand over her face, “Buffy, Buffy are you okay?”

She blearily opened her eyes and looked up at him, “Did she… is she…?”

Angel swept her up into his arms and turned around so she could see the couple at the table. She closed her eyes again and saw the faintest of red mists surrounding the two people.

She breathed a sigh of relief. He’d done it.

Angel took her sigh as a sign that he’d succeeded and set her down on the floor, crushing her small frame to his, “God, Buffy, I saw you head over to him with the coffee and he was about to sit down with her anyway… I tried to tell you… I thought I’d lost you.” he murmured into her shoulder, his speech disjointed through the sheer relief that he felt.

Her eyelids fluttered open and she stared blankly over his shoulder, “Thank you.”

Then her world went black

Part 5

The next thing Buffy was aware of was the loud bang of a door being slammed behind her. She slowly opened her eyes and groaned as light flooded into them.

Hearing her, Angel crossed his apartment in two large steps and gently placed Buffy down on his bed.

She stared up at his concerned face, “I’m okay,” she croaked.

He ran his hand over her hair, “What happened back there, Buffy?”

“I nearly lost it. I nearly went… I nearly went to-” she choked off.

“Shhh,” Angel soothed, gathering her limp body up in his arms, “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

Buffy let out a sob, “But it nearly wasn’t.” She wrapped her arms round his broad form and desperately clutched to the material of his sweater.

“I said I’d never let anything happen to you, and I meant it,” Angel said, pressing his lips to her shoulder.

She pulled away, sniffling quietly, “This doesn’t change anything Angel.”

He frowned at her, “But… I helped you.” he said almost pathetically.

It broke her heart to see him reduced to this, over her. Stupid her. She desperately locked up her heart, and carried on with a determined look on her face, “Maybe if you hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have got distracted and nearly slipped up.”

He growled quietly, “Don’t throw that one at me Buffy, you know the same thing would have happened, had I been there or not.”

She leapt away from him, “Are you saying I’m not capable of doing my job?”

He stood up angrily, grabbing her arm, “I’m saying that you need me.”

“What I need, is for you to leave me alone,” she shot back, shrugging off his arm.

Angel stared at her in disbelief, before grabbing her waist and pushing her into the wall, pinning her body against it with his and bringing his lips down to hers with a fierce determination.

At first, Buffy tried to resist, pushing at his body with her hands. Realising she was getting nowhere, she gave in, opening her mouth to his.

He hoisted her body up the wall and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her hands desperately clawing at his chest.

They broke away, both breathing heavily.

“Tell me you don’t need me,” Angel panted.

She detached her legs from his waist and sunk to the floor with a sob, “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Angel sunk to the floor in front of her and cupped her face in his hands, “The only way you’ll ever hurt me is if you didn’t love me the way I love you.”

She stared up at him, a tear escaping the corner of her eye.

He continued, “And I know you do. I don’t need any kind of power to be able to work that out.” He brushed the tear away with the pad of his thumb and kissed her once again, this time without the fervour or the passion of before, but equally heartfelt.

Buffy whimpered against his lips and he pulled away.

“Don’t push me away, that’s all I’m asking,” he muttered.

“I need to get home,” Buffy said quietly.

“I’ll walk you.”

“No..” she looked deep into his eyes, “I’m not pushing you away… I just… need some space to think about things.”

She slid away from his body and got to her feet.

Heading towards the door, she paused.

“Maybe I do need you. But that’s not always enough.”

She threw him one last glance over her shoulder, opened the door and left.

Angel stared at the door, “It’s enough for now.”

**

“Where the hell have you been?!”

Buffy held the phone away from her with a grimace.

“Xander’s been frantic about you and Angel! Well… more frantic than usual! Giles was this close to ringing the police and even Cordelia was worried in her own special way!”

Buffy rolled her eyes as Willow continued, “And Faith! She nearly resorted to violence!”

Buffy snorted, “Faith always resorts to violence.”

“Yeah… but it was really big violence.”

“Look, I spent one night without checking in with you guys, what’s the big?”

“Well, maybe Angel could have gone all grr or something.”

“Technically he’s grr all the time being a vampire and all.” Buffy replied sarcastically, rolling over onto her stomach and inspecting her nails.

“Angel!” Willow suddenly exclaimed.

Buffy frowned, “Yeah, I hear that’s what he’s going by these days.”

“No, silly! What happened with you two? Were there smoochies?”

Buffy’s lips curved up in a smile, “There were some…”

Willow squealed, “And?!”

Buffy’s smile turned to a frown, “It was… intense. I mean, there’s so much going on between us. And so soon.”

“Soon, smoon!” Willow exclaimed, “Just go for it, Buffy.”

“Yeah but I’m still sticking by my no relationships rule.” Buffy grimaced, “Think about what happened to Riley.”

“It’s not your fault a cow trampled him to death…”

Buffy sighed, “Yeah, but I should have known the cow was in love with him.”

“Hey, you’re a seer for people, not farmyard animals.”

“I just don’t want Angel to get hurt,” Buffy murmured.

“He won’t! It’s not like you guys are in love or anything.”

There was a silence.

“Oh my god, you’re in love,” Willow breathed.

Buffy chewed on her lip, “See what I mean about intense?”

Part 6

Two days, and much Angel thought-ness later, Buffy headed over to Angel’s apartment after school. She arrived to find his door ajar.

Frowning, she slowly pushed it open, “Hello? Angel?” She peered round the door. He couldn’t be out, it was hours off sunset yet.

She stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her. She walked forward and then suddenly halted. Her eyes drifted to the floor and were met with pools of blood leading towards Angel’s bedroom.

“Oh my god,” she whispered, rushing towards his room. Again, she stopped as she heard a voice coming from behind the curtain separating the bedroom from the rest of the apartment.

“God, Angel, you look totally messed up.”

Buffy froze. Faith. She tiptoed forward and peered round the curtain. Angel was lying on the bed, Faith sat beside him, wrapping his hand in a bandage.

She took a sharp intake of breath at the sight of Angel’s body covered in deep gashes and ugly bruises.

“You can’t tell Buffy about any of this,” Angel forced out, his teeth ground together in pain.

Faith ran her hand over his forehead but did not say anything.

Buffy’s stomach did a full 180 degree flop. She turned and ran out of the apartment, smearing the blood along the wooden flooring with her feet. Outside, she slammed the door behind her.

Faith’s head bolted up, “What was that?”

Angel made a move as if to sit up and Faith pushed him back down, “I’ll go.”

She cautiously made her way past the curtain and through the apartment. Reaching the door, she looked around for something heavy. Grabbing an antique stone ornament, she raised it above her head and ripped open the door.

There, Buffy sat in a crumpled pile on the floor, tears rolling down her face.

“B,” Faith whispered with compassion, abandoning the stone ornament and crouching down beside her, “What’s up?”

Buffy’s head snapped up, an expression of anger colouring her face, “What the hell were you doing in there?”

Faith glanced back in Angel’s apartment, “It’s not what it might look like, B.”

Buffy sniffled, “Looked like you were getting pretty cosy to me.”

Faith sighed, “You remember a while back there was mention of that vamp, Spike?”

“What’s that got to do with you feeling up my boyfriend?”

Faith quirked an eyebrow at the word ‘boyfriend’ but continued regardless, “I was patrolling last night and he attacked me. Angel showed up, we had this whole big battle scenario. There were minions, uber minions... it was pretty ugly… but we won. Spike’s gone. But Angel got hurt bad, I’m just here making sure he’s okay.”

Buffy leapt to her feet and rushed in through the door of the apartment, “Why didn’t anybody tell me?!”

Faith followed her and grabbed her arm, effectively halting her, “Spike wanted you. He wanted you to make his lady vampy love realise they were made for each other. He was going to take you, use you, and then most probably kill you.” she hissed, “Angel was trying to protect you. Go easy on him.” She let go of Buffy’s arm and headed out the door, “I’ll let you take it from here,” she said as she closed the door.

Buffy stood in the middle of the room, staring at the curtain that separated her from Angel.

Rubbing a hand over her forehead she walked forwards and yanked the curtain away.

Angel lay on the bed, his face contorted in agony.

Buffy felt completely overwhelmed, she felt tears threatening to emerge, and sniffed loudly.

Angel opened an eye and peered at her, “Buffy?” he managed hoarsely.

She quietly stepped over and perched on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb any of his wounds. She ran a hand over his chest lightly, immediately flinching away as he hissed in pain.

“Sorry,” she whispered.

He grunted in response, closing his eyes and blindly groping around for her hand.

She stopped his movements and took his hand in hers, bringing it up to her mouth and kissing it lightly, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Didn’t want… you… hurt…” he forced out of gritted teeth.

She sighed quietly, “Do you need anything? I mean… do you need to… to… feed?”

Angel didn’t respond. Taking that as the affirmative she got up from her place on the bed and wandered over to a small fridge in the corner of the apartment. She opened it, and drew in a breath at the bag after bag of congealed blood. She tentatively removed one and took it back to Angel.

Placing it on the nightstand beside him, Buffy slid an arm behind Angel’s back, and carefully dragged him into a half sitting position. She handed him the bag and sat back on the bed.

He stared at her and then the bag.

“Oh,” she muttered, turning her back to him, “Sorry, I-” She stopped as she heard the guzzling noises from behind her.

Almost immediately they stopped, and Buffy turned back round to face Angel. He was in game-face, blood dripping down his chin and onto his chest.

“More?” she asked quietly.

Angel made a disgusted face and wiped at his chin, “You shouldn’t have to see me when I’m like this.”

Buffy reached her hand towards his face, and brushed lightly along the ridges of his forehead and down one cheek. She brushed her lips over his head and headed back to the fridge, bringing back this time, two bags of blood and a damp wash cloth.

Following with his wishes, she turned her back to him as he downed the blood. When he was finished he stared at her back, completely overwhelmed with both pain, and the sheer love for this woman who was so excepting of him.

Sensing his eyes on her, Buffy turned around again and started to carefully mop at the spilt blood with the cloth. When the worst was gone, Angel caught her hand in his.

“Lie down.”

Buffy smiled sadly at him and curled up against Angel, his chest spooning her back. They lay there for hours. Eventually Angel seemed to fall asleep, but Buffy continued to lie there and stare at the ceiling. She couldn’t sleep even if she wanted to, for every time she closed her eyes she was blinded by red.

**

Hours later, Buffy felt Angel stir behind her. She tried to move, but was well and truly held down in his arms. She turned in his embrace to face him, “Hey.”

He stared back at her. Buffy was relieved to see the bruising on his face had gone considerably down, and peering south, most of the bloody gashes were fading.

“You better get going, they’ll be worried.” Angel said quietly, brushing a kiss over her forehead.

She nodded in agreement and detangled herself from his arms, “You going to be okay?”

He gave her a half smile, “Give it a day or two.”

She smiled in return and headed out of the bedroom.

“When can I see you again?” he asked.

Buffy turned around, “What?”

Angel frowned, “You could come by here later?”

Buffy’s mouth fell open, “Angel… I can’t… we can’t be doing this. Especially not now.”

Angel sat up quickly, wincing at the pain that coursed through him, “Nothing’s changed.”

“I think you’ve proved you can’t look after yourself.” Buffy said quietly, “I have to worry about me, I don’t need to worry about you as well.”

“I was trying to protect you.”

Buffy lowered her eyes to the floor, “You take risks for me, and that’s not good. I need to be able to handle this on my own, Angel.”

Angel let out a laugh, “Sure, handle Spike and his minions torturing you to death.”

Buffy looked at him with a hurt expression, “I’m grateful that you stopped him, but look at you. I’m not prepared to let you get hurt, Angel.”

“Buffy I-”

“Don’t!” she shouted, “Just… just leave me alone, Angel.”

“I love you.”

“I don’t love you,” were her last words before she left. He didn’t follow her

Outside the apartment, she leaned back against the door, sliding to the floor as the tears overcame her.

Part 7

When Buffy finally arrived home she walked into the lounge, her mom, Giles, Xander and Willow were huddled on the sofa looking anxious.

She dropped her bag on the floor with a thud, “Hi.”

Joyce’s head shot up and she leapt to his feet, “Where the hell have you been, young lady?”

“We were so worried,” Willow chimed in, standing up.

Buffy shrugged and looked at them, “I was walking.”

“You were gone all night,” Giles muttered quietly, stony faced.

“Well I was walking a lot.”

Buffy could see the anger rise up in Xander’s eyes from where he sat on the sofa, “How could you be so damn selfish?”

Buffy glared at him, “Selfish? What, for walking around for a while?”

“We didn’t know where you were!” Joyce exploded, “anything could have happened!”

“Well it didn’t so get over it.”

Nobody said anything.

Buffy sighed, “Look I’m tired, I just wanna go to bed.” She looked at Willow with a half smile. Willow stared at her and raised her eyebrows, mouthing 'Angel.'

Buffy nodded and started to walk off when Xander suddenly said, “You were with Angel?”

She turned around again, "What?"

Joyce gave her a Look, “Angel?”

Buffy sighed, "What's the big here?"

“You were with Angel?” Giles asked incrediously.

Buffy didn't say anything,

“You stupid bitch,” Xander shouted, “We’ve been sat here worried about you for hours while all this time you’ve been out fucking Angel in some alley?”

Buffy stared at him incrediously, while once again her mother questioned Angel, "Who the hell is Angel?"

Xander continued regardless, “You are selfish Buff, whether you want to admit to it or not! You’re just a stupid, scared, selfish little girl.”

Buffy looked from Willow to Giles, waiting for them to defend her, but they just stood there staring at the floor.

She wordlessly picked up her bag again, slung it over her shoulder, and walked out of the front door.

And for the second time that day, nobody followed her.

**

Buffy wandered aimlessly around town, not knowing how long for, just passing the minutes away without a single person around her. It was perfe-

“Oof!” she breathed out as she collided head on with somebody.

“Jeez, Buffy did you go blind or something?” Cordelia snapped, “Look, I was THIS close away from landing in that… doggy doo.”

Buffy rolled her eyes, “Sorry Cordy.”

Cordelia inspected her warily, “You look like shit.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Xander called me. Guess they’re pretty pissed at you, huh?”

Buffy folded her arms and glared at Cordelia, “Looks like.”

“Uh huh,” Cordelia said half-heartedly, “What are you doing out here anyway?”

“Walking, suddenly it seems that it’s become some sort of cri- ah!”

Once again, Buffy was hit with that all too familiar pain in her head. She gripped onto Cordelia’s arm, to stop herself from falling as her mind tried to make sense of the images it was receiving.

Cordelia looked down at her with distain, “Vision?”

Buffy managed a tiny nod.

“Oh okay, well tell me if you need anything,” Cordelia continued, inspecting a nail, “My god, this is totally chipped.”

Buffy snatched her hand away from Cordelia’s arm and slowly stood up, righting herself.

“So?” Cordelia said impatiently, “Who was it? Some hill-bills in Texas?”

Buffy’s lips curved up into a smile, “No. No it wasn’t. Bye Cordelia.” She turned and walked away, perfectly composed for all of 3 metres before she picked up into a run leaving Cordelia standing in the middle of the street.

“Huh.”

**

Buffy stood outside the door nervously. The situation had so many potential outcomes, maybe she’d be better just going, leaving this whole thing behind.

“Oh screw it,” she muttered, grabbing the door knob and deftly twisting it. It didn’t move. She tried again. And again.

“Angel,” she yelled, pounding on the door with her fist, “Open up!”

There was no response. Buffy pressed her ear to the door to listen out for any sign of life, footsteps… anything.

Nothing.

She knocked again, “Angel, please!”

Again there was no answer. Buffy sighed dejectedly and leaned against the door.

“I’ll camp out here forever if I have t-”

She was cut off as the door opened and she went tumbling to the floor.

She looked up sheepishly, into the eyes of her love, “Hey.” she squeaked.

Angel was fully dressed now, the bruises on his face nearly invisible to the naked eye.

“What do you want, Buffy?”

She smiled and stood up, dusting off her jeans with her hands, “You.”

Angel frowned, “I think you made it perfectly clear earlier that you wanted nothing to do with me.” He walked past her and sat down in a chair, wincing as his chest moved.

Buffy rushed over to him, sliding down onto her knees and lifting his shirt, “Are you okay? What hurts?”

Angel swatted her hands away, pulling his shirt back down.

“I’m fine. Are you done here now?”

Buffy stood up, pouting, “Not really, no.”

He sighed, “You said everything you had to say.”

“No, I said everything I thought I had to say. I don’t think like that anymore.” she smiled lovingly at him.

“Oh?” he quirked his eyebrow, “What changed?”

“I had a vision. Of you. And me.” she giggled, “Turns out we’re kind of destined.”

Angel’s face remained stony. Seeing this, her smile soon fell, “What’s wrong?”

“Your reasons for us not being together are still there, Buffy.”

“We can work it out.”

Angel stood up and walked away, stopping in the corner of the room, his back to her.

“So suddenly the… the powers that be, decide that we’re important, so now you think we’re important to?”

Buffy walked over to him, grabbing his hands and turning him round to face her.

“It’s always been important. It’s always been everything.”

She reached up and caressed his face lightly, “I didn’t want to get you hurt because of me… not when I didn’t know how I really felt.”

Angel snorted, “You’ve just been told what to feel that’s all. This isn’t coming from you.”

“No,” Buffy replied defiantly, shaking her head, “I always knew what I felt. Now I just know for sure.”

His expression softened and he brushed his hand over her hair, down her face and over her lips. He hardly dare hope, “And what do you feel?”

She stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his briefly. Keeping her face mere inches away from his she said, “I love you.” Angel considered this for a second. He could carry on being angry, thinking that she was only feeling this way because she thought she had to. But he had the woman that he loved, standing right in front of him, declaring her love for him.

“Buffy,” he muttered, cupping his hands underneath her ass, hoisting her up to his height and descending his lips heavily to hers.

She carefully wrapped her legs around him, not wanting to irritate his wounds, and kissed him back with everything she had.

Angel stumbled his way over to his bed, knowing they weren’t nearly ready to go any further yet, but still wanting to get some major kissing action in.

Buffy pulled away hesitantly, “Promise me… promise me you’ll be careful.”

He swept his hands over her body, “Losing my life would mean losing you. And I’m not ever going to be ready for that.”

“I don’t want to lose you either”, she whispered, smiling weakly and kissing him again.

Part 8

“You should get going,” Angel said reluctantly, placing a tender kiss to Buffy’s temple.

She pouted, “Trying to get rid of me?”

He grabbed her by her waist and pulled her fiercely onto his lap, eliciting a squeal from her, “Never.”

Buffy let out a happy sigh and pressed her lips to his, turning in her place on his lap, so her legs straddled his waist.

Angel chuckled against her mouth, “Nice try. Come on, I don’t want to get on the wrong side of your friends.”

Buffy pushed herself off Angel with greater force than needed, and huffed over to the other side of the room, “I’m already on the wrong side of my friends, I don’t think it matters what they think of you.”

Angel frowned and stepped over to where Buffy stood, wrapping his arms around her waist, “What happened?”

She smiled slightly, delighting in the feel of his arms around her, “They weren’t with the happy over my disappearing act.”

He tightened his grip, agonized that he might have indirectly caused her pain, “What did they say?”

She shrugged and wriggled away from his grasp, “Stuff. Xander called me a selfish, stupid, bitch or something along those pleasant lines.”

Angel growled low in his chest and Buffy spun around in surprise, “What was that?”

“That boy needs to be set straight on exactly who the selfish one is,” he said fiercely.

Buffy’s lips curved up into a smile and she sauntered over to Angel, wrapping her arms around his neck and standing up on her toes so they were eye level, “You growled.” she said slowly.

Angel licked his lips, his eyes focused on Buffy’s mouth, the way her lips slid over each other, curving round words with the slightest of smiles, “I did.”

“S’cute.” she smirked, leaning up for a kiss.

Rolling his eyes at her successful attempt to distract him, he planted a quick kiss on her lips, before detangling himself from her and walking over to the door, “Come on.”

Buffy frowned, her eyes following him, “Where are you going?”

He shrugged on his coat, “We’re going home.”

**

When Buffy and Angel arrived at the Summer’s residence, Joyce stood dumfounded in the corner, as her daughter, without a word, dragged herself, and a seemingly permanently attached male, into her living room and under his instruction, set about ringing all her friends.

“What is it?” Joyce asked with an edge of panic to her voice when Buffy finally hung up the phone, “Did you have a vision?”

Buffy shifted herself off the arm of the couch, falling back onto Angel’s lap, “Nope.”

Joyce’s eyes narrowed at the man who’s arms were snaking round her daughters waist.

Seeing her gaze, Angel snapped his hands away, but Buffy, with a roll of her eyes, immediately took his hands in hers and locked them round her stomach.

Joyce stared at the couple in silence, debating on whether to leave them be or start a fire of questions.

Deciding on the later, she opened her mouth to speak.

“Leave it Mom,” Buffy said with a glare in her direction.

Joyce closed her mouth again, slumping back into a chair and focusing her eyes on any point in the room that wasn’t them. She felt like a naughty child being told off by her parents. Frowning, she was about to try the attack again when the doorbell rang.

“Can you get that?” Buffy asked, smiling sweetly at her mother, who dutifully went off to the front door.

“Easy on the power trip,” Angel muttered close to Buffy’s ear, nipping on the lobe.

She giggled quietly in response as one by one her friends walked into the room. Her mother stood awkwardly in the corner, Willow and Oz perched nervously on the couch, Faith was sprawled on the floor, Cordelia had slouched in a chair and was inspecting her nails, and Xander stood defensively in the middle of the room, his arms folded tightly in front of his chest.

Angel’s eyes flashed yellow as they met Xander’s. He let out another growl, the vibrations in his chest reverberating off onto Buffy, who squirmed in his lap.

Angel’s eyes screwed shut as she hit a particular spot, ‘Focus,’ he thought to himself sternly.

Fluffing her hair slightly with one hand, Buffy turned her attention to her gathered friends who were awaiting her speech like a group of minions would to a head vampire.

“Me and Angel are together,” she started firmly, “Deal with it.”

Angel quirked an eyebrow, ‘Not quite the official speech,’ he thought.

Buffy’s eyes drifted round the room, evaluating her friend’s reactions. Willow and Faith were smiling slyly at each other, Cordelia and Oz remained expressionless while her mother and Xander stood with expressions of what could only be described as pure fury.

“What the hell do you think you are playing at, Buffy?” her mother asked before letting out a tirade of questions, “Who is this man? How old is he? What do you mean you’re a couple?”

Angel shifted Buffy off his lap and paced over to where she stood, “Mrs Summers, I love your daughter very much. She might have kept me from you, but that doesn’t mean I am anything less than 100% committed to your daughter’s welfare. I would never let anything happen to, so with your permission, I would want to continue seeing her.”

Buffy smirked, suddenly gaining whole new degrees of respect from her 18th century mannered boyfriend.

Joyce folded her arms, “That may be so, but I have no idea as to who you are, or what your intentions are.”

“With all due respect Mrs Summers,” Angel said quietly, “Your daughter is 18 years old. She’s free to do what she wishes.”

Buffy flinched, knowing this would not go down well with her mother.

Joyce looked from the man standing in front of her, to her daughter. Dejected, she sighed, realising she was not going to win this one, “Uh… Angel… perhaps you would like to come round for dinner one night, so we can get better acquainted.” Buffy’s eyes widened in shock. Joyce shook her head slightly, feeling a headache begin to emerge, “In the mean time, I’m going upstairs for a lie down.” She left the room, leaving Buffy and her friends silenced.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Xander hissed at Buffy.

“Yo, Xander, back off.” Faith said, standing up, “it’s Buffy’s life, get over it.”

“He’s a VAMPIRE,” Xander proclaimed loudly.

Buffy stood up and pushed his chest lightly, “Any louder, Xand? Don’t think my mother QUITE heard you.”

“Can I go?” Cordelia asked sullenly.

“Yeah, just go, all of you.” Buffy muttered quietly as Cordelia left, throwing a half-hearted goodbye at Xander. Sensing Buffy’s despair, Angel walked up behind her, and took her hand in his.

Willow approached Buffy and pulled her into a half hearted hug whispering, “I’m happy for you,” in her ear before sidling off with Oz. Buffy flashed her a grateful smile as she left.

“Angel, man, you took your time,” Faith said, slapping him lightly on the arm, stealing his attention away from Buffy.

“I want her friends to be her friends,” Angel said in response, “I don’t want to take away any normality she still has.”

Faith rolled her eyes, “Ignore Xander, he’s just jealous. We’re all there for Buffy,” she shrugged, “She’s our friend.”

Angel smiled slightly and turned around, his eyes searching for his love.

She stood by the door, Xander in front of her, projecting verbal fire at her.

“You’re sick. He’s DEAD, Buffy.”

She visibly flinched as he raised his voice.

Ignoring Faith’s warning to leave them, Angel charged over to Xander, grabbed him by the collar and thrust him against the wall.

“If you ever, ever,” he began with a snarl, “physically or verbally hurt Buffy, ever again.” Angel tightened his grip, “I will personally make sure you’ll lose the ability to ever even attempt doing either of those things ever again.”

Xander’s face paled as he struggled against Angel’s grip. Angel, feeling Buffy’s reassuring hand on his arm, finally released his hold, “Get out.” he growled.

Shooting killer looks at both Buffy and Angel, Xander slunk out of the house, followed by Faith, “I’ll talk to him,” she said, chasing after him.

Sighing, Buffy closed the front door and slumped against it, closing her eyes.

Angel stepped up and pulled her into his arms. Gratefully, she rested her weight on him, smothering her face into his chest.

“Please can we just go back to yours?” she mumbled quietly.

He ran his hands up and down her back soothingly, “You better tell your mom.”

Buffy placed a kiss over his heart and pulled away. Drawing in a deep breath, she yelled, “Mom, I’m staying at Willow’s, I’ll be back tomorrow!”

“That wasn’t quite what I meant,” Angel muttered, taking her hand and leading her out of the door.

Upstairs, Joyce rubbed her head slowly, as she swallowed another headache tablet.

‘Teenagers’ she thought to herself with a sigh.

Part 9

She smiled, “What?”

“You’re beautiful,” he said in response, a smile of his own gracing his features.

Buffy stopped walking with a smirk, pressing her body to Angel’s and wrapping her arms around his neck, “Keep talkin’.”

“But I could be doing such better things with my lips,” he muttered quietly, lowering his mouth to hers.

“Mmm” Buffy murmured in agreement, momentarily losing herself in the kiss before being dragged out by the all too familiar searing pain in her head. Her legs went from under her, as she clutched her hands to her head.

Angel caught her gracefully as she swooped to the ground, “Shhhh, shhh, it’s okay,” he soothed, distraught at his love’s pain.

Buffy slowly opened her eyes. Angel stared down at her and the look of sheer panic in her eyes, “Baby, what is it? What did you see?”

Buffy swallowed, “Faith… Faith said Spike was gone.”

Angel pushed Buffy upwards so she was standing on her feet again, “He is.”

Buffy’s eyes widened, “Gone as in dusted, or gone as in gone to Prague?”

Angel shifted uncomfortably, “I don’t know.”

She felt as if she’d been hit in the stomach with a ton of weight, “He’s back. He’s… he’s here,” she said shakily, “He was in the vision… with some blonde chick.”

Angel cupped Buffy’s face in his hands, “Hey, it’s okay, we’ll deal with it,” he whispered.

“How are we supposed to deal with this?!” Buffy yelled wrenching her face away from Angel’s grasp, “I’m supposed to play matchmaker for somebody that wants us both dead?!”

Angel merely stared back in response, before reaching into his pocket and drawing out a cell phone.

“What are you doing?” Buffy asked quietly.

“Calling Faith,” Angel replied, punching in the numbers.

“No,” Buffy said sternly, yanking the phone away from him, “They’re not getting involved in this.”

“Buffy-”

“No!” she said desperately, a stray tear sliding down her cheek, “Look what happened to you last time! I’m not risking my friends, whether they’re slayers or not! Besides, what’s she gonna do? Stake him?”

If possible, Angel’s face paled even more.

Buffy continued, “And then I’ll go. Then I’ll go to hell.”

“Buffy, No-”

“I have to do this without them. I don’t have a choice.”

**

“Her,” Buffy whispered quietly.

Buffy and Angel stood on the balcony over Spike’s warehouse come living space. There were dozens of vampires milling round below them. Apparently Spike was having a gathering. Angel looked over Buffy’s shoulder at a blonde vampire who was leaning against a table, looking bored.

“Oh my god!” Buffy exclaimed quietly, “That’s Harmony!”

“Harmony?” Angel questioned.

“One of Cordy’s ditsy friends… she got turned? That’s gotta be nasty… all those nails.”

At the word nails, Buffy’s voice rose. Her body stiffened and Angel grasped firmly onto her waist, as Spike slowly turned around, his gaze drifting upwards.

“Well, well, well,” Spike muttered, “Look who it is. The seer and her dreamboat.”

“We have to get out of here,” Angel whispered into Buffy’s ear as he backed away.

Spike clapped his hands together, “Not so fast, Angelus.” he sneered, as several vampires hoisted themselves onto the balcony and surrounded the couple.

Three lunged for Buffy, tearing her away from Angel’s grasp as he too was restrained.

“Leave her alone!” Angel yelled.

“Say please,” Spike said with a smirk, “Bring ‘em down, boys.”

The minions dragged Buffy and Angel along the balcony, forcefully pushing them down the stairs until they were faced with Spike.

Spike grinned, “Anyone fancy an after dinner snack?”

Buffy’s face blanched.

“Let her go, take me!” Angel shouted, struggling against the vampires.

Spike snorted, “I’ll be taking both of you, thank you very much you great poof.” he sauntered over to Buffy and cupped her chin in his hand, “You’d be a bit bitter on your own, Angelus. You need something to sweeten you up a bit.”

Buffy let out a quiet whimper as she wrenched her face away from Spike, “Let us go!” she yelled, “We’re not trying to attack! I only came here because I got a vision of you and blondie over there.” she said, jerking her head in Harmony’s direction, whose face was now lit up with a dazzling smile.

“Me?!” Harmony squeaked.

Spike rolled his eyes and turned to look at the blonde, “Harmony-” he started.

Seeing Spike’s distraction, Angel’s eyes flitted from him to Buffy. Summoning every inch of strength in him, he managed to shrug off his captors and break free, throwing punches at the vampires who crashed against the floor, knocking a hole straight through into the sewers.

Angel rushed at Spike, kicking him square in the chest and sending him flying across the warehouse. Buffy’s captors immediately let go of Buffy and dumbly ran towards Spike.

“Buffy!” Angel yelled, grabbing her hand and pulling her over to the hole in the floor. Gathering her in his arms, Angel jumped down, landing with a clatter on the ground.

“Don’t just stand there!” Spike yelled from above, “Go!”

Two vampires rushed at the hole, dropping down as Buffy and Angel took off down the tunnels. Angel scanned his eyes around frantically, eyeing a ladder and running towards it. Slinging a shrieking Buffy over his shoulder he climbed up it, punching the drain cover at the top and emerging into the open air. Setting Buffy back on her feet, Angel grabbed the cover and forced it into the hole it had created, twisting it round so that it was locked into place.

“What are you doing?!” Buffy shouted, yanking at Angel’s collar and pulling him away, “I need to get back in there, Spike and Harmony!”

“It’ll be okay,” Angel reassured, his eyes drifting around, refusing to make contact with hers.

“How?” Buffy asked, her voice shaking.

They were interrupted by a loud clang on the drain cover. Angel stared at it in horror and grabbed Buffy’s hand, “Come on, we need to get out of here.”

**

“So… Spikey,” Harmony giggled as she sidled up to the platinum vamp, “Buffy sees couples who are destined, huh?”

Spike gave her scathing look, “What of it?”

She pouted, “Don’t you want to try it out?”

Spike stared at her. She wasn’t half bad looking, besides Drusilla had gone off with that bloody chaos demon and it’d been a good long while since he’d gotten laid.

He smirked and nodded his head in the direction of the bedroom, “You know where to go.”

Harmony’s face read confusion, “No I don’t, Spikey.”

Spike rolled his eyes and hoisted the ditzy blonde into his arms, smothering her lips with his own.

“Guess I’ll have to show you then.”

**

They arrived back at Angel’s apartment, Buffy in hysterical tears, Angel desperately trying to console her.

As soon as they walked in the door, Buffy collapsed to the floor. Angel followed, wrapping his arms around her and soothingly stroking her back, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Buffy looked up at him with a tear streaked face, “No it’s not.”

“You don’t know, things might have changed after we lef-”

Buffy ignored him, cutting into his speech, “For the first time in my life I’m actually, truly happy.” she whispered, struggling to hold back the tears, “And now I’m being ripped away from all that. Ripped away and sent to… to…” she choked off as another sob overwhelmed her.

Angel’s face contorted with pain, “Please don’t cry, I promised you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. I’ll find a way to get round this baby, I promise.”

Buffy shook her head sadly, smoothing her hand over his face, “There’s nothing you can do.”

“But-”

“Nothing.” she continued, “I know the way it works… I just don’t know… I don’t know how much longer I’ve got left here.” she said, staring pointedly at him.

Not getting the hint, Angel drew Buffy back into his arms again.

Buffy pulled away and stared deep into his eyes. Flicking her vision to his lips and back up again, she leaned forward and captured Angel’s lips with her own. Rising up on her knees, Buffy grasped the back of Angel’s head and deepened the kiss.

Panting unneeded breaths, Angel pulled away, “Buffy-”

She raised her finger to his lips, tracing their outline lightly, “Make love to me,” she whispered.

“I don’t think we shou-”

“Shhh,” She hissed, cutting him off again, “I want my last moments to be with you. I want to be with you completely, Angel.”

“I love you,” he said meekly.

She smiled gently, “I love you too.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

She gazed at him, her eyes depths of pain, “Never been surer of anything.”

He gazed back, slowly sliding his lips over hers before lowering her to the floor…

**

Buffy lay awake, gazing at her sleeping love and lightly sketching patterns over his chest with her fingertips. She smiled as he shifted in his sleep, stretching up to kiss him awake when she felt as if a weight had been thrown at her. She gasped loudly and sat up in bed.

The pain increased and she stumbled out of the bed, clutching the sheet to her chest as she fell to the floor. She dragged herself along on her stomach, desperately trying to claw her way out and get away from the pain. Finally reaching the back door of the apartment, she pushed it open and unsteadily got on her hands and knees, crawling along the gravely ground as she cried out in pain.

“Ahhh!” she cried as she felt a stabbing pain shoot through her heart.

“Angel!” she yelled, trying to gather her voice but only a whisper emerging.

She tried again, “Angel!”

The pain increased, hitting her square between the eyes.

“No…” she whispered.

Drawing in one last deep breath she tried one last attempt to rouse her sleeping lover.

“ANGEL!”

Part 10

Buffy clenched her teeth as she prepared herself for what was to come. She felt a spinning sensation as the world around her appeared to move. Wrapping the sheet more tightly around her she grasped desperately at the ground, digging her nails into the concrete in a wild attempt to keep her where she was. The spinning rapidly increased until the world was just a whir around her. Squeezing her eyes shut she let out a desperate cry as she felt herself be lifted away.

The spinning stopped.

Tentatively she opened her eyes and was immediately hit with a bright light. She gasped and brought a hand up to shield her eyes. The light gradually faded and Buffy squinted, trying to make out the blurred images around her. She pushed herself up on her hands and reached for the sheet, before realising it was gone, replaced by a long white gown that covered her from head to toe.

Standing up, she spun around in a circle, taking in the white marble chamber that surrounded her.

“Come before us, warrior,” she heard a voice bellow from behind her. Snapping her head round, Buffy was faced with two glittery figures standing close together.

“Whats-?” Buffy started.

“Silence” one of the figures interrupted, holding up a hand.

Buffy quirked an eyebrow and took rapid steps back as the man and the woman approached her.

“You have been called here by the powers that be,” the man said, “In facing your test as a love seer, overcoming all obstacles to bring together two vampires, you will now be rewarded.”

“But I didn’t bring together two vampires, Spike and Harmon-” Buffy stopped talking as the woman shot her a pointed look.

“Sorry,” Buffy muttered.

“You have completed your task,” the man continued, “You are no longer a seer, you no longer have duties to the powers.”

Buffy’s eyes widened in shock, “Who are you to say that?”

The woman rolled her eyes, “We’re the oracles, we are the only valid link to the powers that be.”

Buffy felt her heart clench desperately at the prospect of escaping her destiny, “I’m free?”

The woman ignored her, “You will have no powers and you will no longer be immortal. You will live out your life as an ordinary being.”

Buffy stared in disbelief at the figures. She was free, she was human. She could be whoever she wanted... do whatever she wanted..

Then it hit her. What about Angel? She wasn’t immortal but he still was… how were they going to live as a couple knowing that he'd never grow old and she'd die...

She opened her mouth to voice her thoughts when the man began to talk again.

“For servicing the powers, you will be granted a reward. Whatever you truly wish for,” he said, “Judging on your thoughts, it can only be assumed that you will ask for the mortality of your love.”

Buffy raised an eyebrow, “You can read my thoughts? That’s kind of creepy…”

The woman looked angrily at her, “You are no longer a warrior, you do not speak before us.”

“Jeez, issues much?” Buffy muttered under her breath.

“What do you wish for?” the man asked impatiently.

Buffy smirked, “Oh so I’m allowed to speak now?” There came no response from the stony faced figures. Buffy swallowed, retreating back to seriousness as she thought about what she had been asked.

It took her all of 2 seconds to decide, “I want Angel to be human.” she said.

“Then it shall be done,” the pair said in unison. The man held up his hand and Buffy went flying backwards, spinning through the air. Her dress was stripped from her and she landed with a thud on the pavement outside Angel’s apartment, the sheet wrapped tightly around her. She opened an eye tentatively as the earth around her continued to slowly spin.

“Urgh…” she moaned, “I don’t feel too goo-” she trailed off, thumping her head on the pavement and drifting off into a state of unconsciousness.

**

Angel stirred from his place in the bed and stretched his arm across the pillows, searching for his love. Feeling nothing, his eyes darted open in surprise.

“Buffy?” he questioned.

Frowning, he rolled out of the bed, pulling on his long discarded pants and wandering into the living area of his apartment.

“Buffy?” he tried again, turning around, a frown on his face as he scanned the room.

Walking back into the bedroom, the back door caught his eye. It was slightly ajar, beams of light streaming into the room. Tentatively stepping around the light, he walked over to the door, peering over the top. His eyes widened in horror as he saw Buffy lying in a pool of sunlight, wrapped in a sheet.

Bracing himself at the door, he ran out into the light, not considering his own safety for even a second. Grasping his lover in his arms, he carried her back into the apartment, slamming the door behind him and concealing the damaging light.

Placing Buffy carefully on the bed, he took a second to examine what he had assumed to be his burnt body.

Shocked, his eyes drifted over himself. There was not one mark on him. Not one clue that just 10 seconds ago he, a vampire, had been exposed to direct beams of sunlight.

His eyes flashed to Buffy, who was still lying unconscious on the bed. Kneeling down, he reached for her shoulders and shook them lightly.

“Buffy… Buffy!” he said desperately, trying to penetrate into her consciousness.

Somewhere deep within her, she heard his voice and her eye lids fluttered open.

Angel let out a sigh of relief as she blearily looked around the room, finally focussing on Angel.

“Angel,” she gasped, sitting upright and flinging herself into his arms.

“Shhh,” he soothed as he felt her body begin to shake against his. He enfolded her body in his arms and rubbed her back slowly, “What happened?”

She pulled back to stare into his eyes, “I got taken… somewhere. I saw the Oreos.”

Angel looked confused, “The oracles?”

Buffy frowned, “Yeah…” Suddenly, her eyes widened and she raised her arm slowly to Angel’s chest. Placing her hand over his heart, she gasped, feeling tears prickling in her eyes as she felt the steady beat.

“It worked,” she whispered.

Angel continued to look both concerned and confused. He took her hand away and replaced it with his own. Feeling the thud beneath it, his face turned an even paler shade of white.

He swallowed, “What’s going on, Buffy?”

“They set me free,” she said quietly, a tear trickling down her cheek, “I’m not a seer anymore. It’s over. I’m not immortal… I’m just… me.”

His eyes widening in delight, he clutched at her shoulders, kissing her lips before wrapping his arms tightly around her, “Oh god, Buffy…” he said emotionally, overjoyed that his constant worry over his love was done with. His thoughts suddenly switched elsewhere and he pulled away slowly, “But… but what about me? Why is my heart beating?”

Buffy smiled, “I got a reward.”

“I’m… I’m human?” he asked, his voice hushed.

She nodded, a tearful smile gracing her features, “Uh huh.”

“You… you gave your reward to me.” Angel muttered looking away, desperately trying to comprehend the situation.

Buffy shook her head, placing her hand over his heart once more, “No,” she said, “I gave it to us.”

Angel shook his head in disbelief at his amazing love. Pulling her to him once more, he opened her mouth to his, sliding his tongue into her mouth as he kissed her.

She moaned quietly, pressing her body to his, allowing the once tightly clutched sheet to fall to her waist.

“Make love to me,” she whispered against his lips, repeating her words from the night before.

Smiling against her mouth, Angel, complete with fully functioning heart, lowered Buffy to the bed and proceeded to show her that vampire or human… he still had a whole lot a’ stamina.

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