Buffy, Angel and the gang belong to the evil Joss and I only own the characters I make up. In a perfect world however I would own all of them, Buffy and Angel wouldn't have broken up and Riley would never have existed.
SPOILERS: None (AU Fic)
SUMMARY: Buffy and Angel were once partners (LAPD). Three years later something from the past is about to reunite them.
CONTENT: Contains adult situations, and slight swearing.
NOTES: This is an AU fic so there aren't any vampires or nasty demons; all evils committed are by Humans. The song 'I Could Not Ask For More' is by Sara Evans off of her album 'Born To Fly.'

Angel O'Brien sighed as he saw the huge pile of paperwork that had been placed on his desk, ever since his partner Oz had quit the force; he'd been snowed under with extra work.

"O'Brien" Rupert Giles his commanding officer yelled, "My office, now!"

Angel sighed as he got up and headed to the office, he was wondering what he could have possibly done to warrant the lecture he was most probably about to receive. He walked in and sat down, "What's up, Chief?"

Giles for once didn't pull any punches, "Finn was released yesterday."

With those fatal words Angel was flung back in time. "Who was stupid enough to let that guy out?" he demanded.

Giles tried to be diplomatic, "He had served his time."

"But he threatened..."

Giles cut Angel off, "That's the other thing... he's been making some enquiries about officer Summers."

That's when Angel got angry, it was one thing to come after him... after all it had been him who had shot Riley's half-brother Parker, but Buffy hadn't done anything. "Where is she?" he asked forcefully. Angel had every intention of rushing to his beloved's side.

"No way am I telling you, O'Brien" Giles said.

Angel looked Giles in the eye and said, "You know that if the situation was reversed she'd be the one helping me."

"No, I don't know that" Giles told him. Then seeing his resolved face, "Are you sure about this? It has been three years."

"Totally" Angel assured him

Giles took a deep breath, "Officer Summers works for the Sunnydale PD."

Angel stood up and before leaving said, "I won't let you down."

***

<Two weeks> Buffy Summers thought as she drove home from work, <What am I gonna do with two weeks off? > She could hardly believe how quickly vacation time had come around this year; at least she could do the sleep-in and watch Passions. <Angel used to tease me about watching that> she realised the track her mind was about to go down and quickly shifted gears, the last thing she needed was to think about Angel O'Brien. It wasn't at all comforting to her that she had managed to go a whole three days without thinking of him this time.

She pulled into her driveway and hurried into her house, she was pressed for time, since she'd agreed to go to this political fund-raiser with Xander Harris. She was actually looking forward to going to it, especially since Xander was one of her closet friends and the newly elected D. A. Thirty minutes later she was dressed and waiting and the second he pulled up outside, she ran out to meet him.

Several hours later on the way home Xander asked, "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah... I just wished that I'd eaten more of the yummy food and did less gossiping" Buffy told him.

"Hey, why do you think I invite you? You keep all of them so busy gossiping, that they ignore me" Xander joked.

Xander pulled up in front of her house and got out of his car to escort her to her door. They were almost there when Buffy's heel broke. "Ouch" she said grabbing Xander as she almost fell.

"Let me see" Xander said grabbing her foot.

Buffy laughed as Xander began to tickle her foot, "Xan... that tickles."

"Yep, it does" Xander said continuing to tickle her.

"Let go, you doofus."

Xander gave her is evil mad scientist smile and said, "Nope."

"Xan!"

"I suggest you do as the lady asked" a man's voice said authoritatively from behind.

PART 2

Buffy and Xander turned to look at the man who was standing behind them. He stood there with a deceptive casualness, but Buffy recognised the danger in him, just as she recognised the voice.

Xander was the first to recover, "Nice watchdog Buffy. I'm impressed, but if he bites me... I'll sue."

"It's okay, he's an old friend. My old partner... from LA" she squeaked out.

Xander looked from the strange guy to his friend, "Do you want me to go?"

"If you don't mind" Buffy said.

"Only if you're sure you'll be okay?" Xander said.

Buffy nodded, "Yeah."

As Xander walked off he called back, "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Night Xan" Buffy said. She turned back to her old partner, her heart beating so fast and not exactly knowing what to say to him.

"Hi Buff."

"Hey Angel" she whispered.

"You look... great" Angel told her awkwardly.

Buffy was embarrassed, "You look... tall." She felt as though she was fifteen-year-old schoolgirl and not a twenty-five year old police officer. "It's been a long time, you surprised me."

"I can see that. Sorry if I interrupted anything" Angel muttered. The truth was, that he wasn't sorry... except that he didn't punch that guy who was touching his Buffy.

"You didn't," she told him. "How did you find me?" she then asked.

"Giles."

Buffy knew that Giles wouldn't have told Angel where she was unless something bad had happened... or was going to happen. "What's wrong?"

"Something serious" Angel replied mysteriously.

She pulled out her keys, "We can talk inside." They entered the house and went into the kitchen where Buffy offered, "Can I get you something?" She turned around and for the first time that night she saw his face, he was (if possible) even more gorgeous than she remembered.

"Coffee would be great" Angel replied.

"Sure, sit down" she told him.

With a sigh Angel pulled out a chair and sat down, he knew that his presence was making her nervous and that was the last thing that he wanted to do, but he wasn't sure how to fix it, especially when all he wanted to do was to pull her into his arms

Buffy carried the coffee to the table and sat across from him. "So... how is LA?" she asked after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.

"Like a giant parking lot" Angel answered.

"Nice to know some things don't change," she teased. Then she said, "Speaking of parking lots, where's your car?"

"It's parked down the block."

Buffy looked at him, "Why the secrecy?"

"Just being cautious," Angel told her.

"What's going on?" she asked him.

Angel was disappointed it seemed that all she wanted from him was information. "Riley Finn is out and he's looking for us," Angel said.

Just like Angel, Buffy had no trouble remembering that incident.

~They'd responded to an alarm from a convenience store one night out on patrol. Riley Finn and Parker Abrahms were running out of the front door as they'd pulled up. Buffy landed Riley by luck, he tripped and fell. Parker might have escaped, but he saw Riley go down and stupidly tried to save him.

"Let him go" he yelled swinging his gun from Angel to Buffy.

"We can't" Angel explained.

Parker didn't listen, he swung the gun back to Buffy and fired, and then he swung it back to Angel and fired for a second time.

At both the inquiry and the trial, everyone had agreed that Angel hadn't any choice but to defend himself and his partner from the threat Parker had created. However that hadn't meant a thing to Finn. "I'll get you... when I get out I'm gonna find you and make you pay."~

"Whoa" she said, "So soon." <So that's why he's here> she thought, <Thank goodness I didn't do anything stupid like jump into his arms>. "Thanks for warning me."

"No problem, we were partners" Angel insisted.

Buffy fiddled with her coffee cup and asked, "Why didn't you just call?"

"Would you?" he demanded. When she didn't answer he said, "Buffy?"

"Yeah."

"Would you have just phoned?"

It wasn't fair of him to remind her of how close they'd once been. He might only be referring to their friendship, but even so, it was wrong and dangerous. "No, I wouldn't."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Buffy asked, "What are you gonna do? I'm here in Sunnydale and Riley's turf is LA, so you're first."

"I'm on vacation."

"Good idea" she said.

"Buffy..." Angel closed his eyes dreading the next words he had to say. "Finn wants you first."

PART 3

It took a minute for it to register. "Why me?" she asked confused.

"I guess he wants to remove the person who stopped him from helping Parker... you. When Finn hit LA, he was immediately spotted in your old neighbourhood" Angel told her.

"Oh." That explained Angel's anger, he felt responsible for these events. "It's okay, I'll call HQ tomorrow and I'll have so much backup that I'll go nuts" she told him.

"No you won't..." he told her, "...I'm your backup."

"Huh?" Buffy thought that she was hearing things.

"I'm staying."

"Here... in Sunnydale?" she asked.

"Close... in this house" he informed her.

Buffy slumped back in her chair and felt the first twinges of panic. She could cope with Riley Finn stalking her, if she had too. But could she survive Angel in her house? "Sorry, but no way" she told him.

"Why?" Angel asked determinedly.

Buffy gave him a dirty look, "Because you can't."

"Not good enough" Angel told her. He looked around, "I know this house is small, but we'll have to deal."

Buffy anxious for something to do, picked up the mugs and took them over to the sink. She stared out of the window for a moment before saying, "Angel... I don't need this. I've made a whole new life for myself here... LA is in the past and I'd like to keep it there."

Angel felt like she'd just trampled his heart into the ground, "I understand, but this thing with Finn started out as our problem and it'll end that way. I don't walk out on a partner ever."

"You're out of your jurisdiction" Buffy reminded him, grasping at straws to keep him out of her house and life.

"Giles is making some calls, it'll be taken care of" Angel told her.

"O'Brien..." Buffy said glaring at him, "What am I gonna do with you?"

<Oh boy, do I have some suggestions> Angel thought. Then he said out loud, "Well Summers, you could say you have an extra bed... I hate couches."

Buffy smiled accepting her defeat, "Yeah... I have an extra bed. Dawn uses it when she visits."

"Great. Let me get my stuff and you can give me the grand tour."

Buffy watched as the door closed behind him. <What am I doing? Can I even handle this? > She wondered. Buffy knew deep inside that she'd be lying if she didn't admit that she was glad that he was here. The line that he'd used about never walking out on a partner was good and all, but they'd been more than just friends. That's why she'd left LA in the first place, before it could go too far and now Angel was staying in her house, where was she gonna go if temptation reared it's ugly head? Oh well, she was gonna have to make the best of it and make sure that they parted ways as soon as possible.

When Angel returned, he found her making more coffee. Buffy didn't even turn to look at him, so he took the opportunity to stare at her unnoticed.

"You didn't move your car?" she muttered playing with the coffee pot to avoid looking at him.

"It's fine where it is," he said.

"You... you think he's found me? This quickly?" Buffy asked curiously.

Angel didn't sugarcoat it, "These days it's possible. Only the guilty and the rich have learned to disappear when they want to."

Buffy turned towards him, "When Finn realises you're here, he'll smell a trap. All he'll do is back off and wait for you to leave."

"He's not the most patient person I've met and he's out for revenge. I'm counting on that as a motivator, besides what makes you think he'll smell a trap. He'll see us here together, decide we're going at it hot and heavy and think it's his lucky day, the two of us at once" Angel told her.

"That is so not funny, Angel."

Angel sighed, "Hey... remember I'm on your side."

The coffee began to perk and Buffy turned all her attention to it. "It'll be a few minutes. Why don't you take your bag upstairs..."

"What no grand tour?"

"Nope" Buffy replied moving away from him.

A few minutes later they were sitting in her living room, trying to avoid the mounting tension. "So..." Buffy said trying to restore equilibrium, "How's all the gang?"

"Well... Gunn just got promoted... and Spike is still acting like a total jerk, but he and Dru seem to be happy... Faith started her own security firm and took Oz along with her... Oh yeah, Giles is still threatening to retire" he filled her in.

Buffy hesitated to ask, "You?"

"That's easy... I still miss you like hell."

In panic Buffy moved away from him, it took several steps before she realised that she had nowhere to run. With a moan she leaned her head up against a wall.

"Buffy..." Angel came up behind her, boxing her in with his arms, "Honey..."

"Don't start... please" Buffy begged.

Behind her Angel flinched, "Don't you think I've tried? I swear I have, but it's no good."

She began to protest, until his breath brushed her ear and she had to fight off the sensations that he was causing.

"I eat... I sleep... I work..." he whispered. "I go through the motions, but I can't forget... not you, or the kiss... I can't forget." he slid his arms around her waist, pulling her to him.

"Angel, this has gotta stop" she pleaded, "Don't touch me."

"I have to" he replied.

She could feel his heart pounding against her back and could feel the tension emanating from his body. She wasn't even aware that he'd turned her around, until his hands framed her face. Then he kissed her with all of the pent up passion of the last three years they'd spent apart.

"Angel... no" she moaned, "We've gotta stop."

"Remember this Buff?"

All too well she remembered. "I remember" Buffy sobbed, "Better than you do. What about Darla, Angel? What about your wife?"

PART 4

Angel froze and let go of Buffy who moved away from him like a scared animal. He stood there with his back to her, his hands clenched at his sides. The silence was unbearable but she didn't want to break it. She'd never seen him like this, not even when she'd told him she was leaving LA and him. "I'm sorry" Buffy told him, "That was an awful thing for me to say."

"Don't apologise," he told her.

Buffy wasn't about to give in, "Look... I was wrong to bring her up..."

"No, you weren't" Angel replied. "There's something you need to know... that I should've told you straight away." Angel swallowed the bitter taste that had formed in his mouth and forced himself to meet Buffy's confused look, "Darla's dead."

Dead... despite the fact that Buffy had known about Darla's illness, knew there wasn't a cure, she was still shocked. They had still been partners when. Angel had learned that Darla was terminally ill. It was the final blow to a marriage that had already been disintegrating from its start. Darla and Angel had been college sweethearts and Darla had been excited in marrying Angel and sharing his pro-football career, only Angel had killed that vision by choosing to become a cop instead. As Angel's partner and friend, it had been hard to stand by and watch him struggle with all of the problems. When it had become obvious that the feelings between her and Angel were growing, she'd left. As much as she'd loved him and hurt over what he was going through... she knew what would've happened if she'd stayed and how wrong it would have been.

"Ask it?" he growled when the silence had become unbearable again.

"When did she..." Buffy started to whisper.

"Almost two years ago" he said. When he saw the look on her face he told her, "You don't understand... I'm still paying off all the medical bills and..."

"You think I care whether you're in debt or not?" Buffy asked him in disbelief.

Angel whirled around to face her, "It matters to me!"

"Well congratulations" she muttered, "I hope you and your pride are very happy together." She rushed towards the stairs.

"Buffy... wait."

Buffy hesitated at the bottom of the stairs and slowly turned to face him.

"It wasn't just my pride" he began, "Towards the end... I almost wanted her die. So when she did, I became obsessed with her bills. My penance."

Buffy took a step closer to him, "The important thing was that you were there when she needed you to be."

Angel took a deep breath and moved to wards her, "Giles didn't want me to come... he thought that there might be someone else. Is there?"

Buffy shook her head; "I guess I couldn't quite get you out of my system."

"Stop trying" he told her. In two steps he was in front of her and suddenly they were kissing. Their breaths were mingled as Angel pulled her closer to him.

"Angel..."

"I know, we should stop" Angel replied breathlessly, "But I want you too much."

"I want you too," Buffy whispered.

"We need to talk first," Angel told her moving a little away from her.

"Sure... me first" she said drawing his mouth back to hers. It was more than he could resist and it soon escalated. A minute later she said, "Angel... I hear bells."

He heard them too, he raised his head and frowned, "It's the phone."

"What?" she said dazed.

"Buffy... the phone's ringing" he told her trying not to laugh.

She moved away from him and answered it. "Hello?" she said, "Hello?" She listened for a moment longer and when no one answered she hung up.

"Well?" Angel asked.

"No-one was there."

"How often does that happen?" he asked her.

Buffy knew what he meant. "Never" she told him honestly, "It couldn't have been him... it's too soon. You only just got here and I can't believe that his sources could outdo yours."

"I wish I could agree with you... for all the good I'm doing here I might as well have stayed in LA" Angel told her.

"That's so not true" Buffy objected.

Angel came to a decision, "Buffy, I know that there's going to be a time for us, but not until after Finn is gone. It'll also give you some time... time to make sure I'm what you want."

Buffy looked at him in surprise, "How can you even doubt it?"

Angel ignored her last comment, "There's something else you need to know... well that I want you to know. I've been completely faithful to you since the day I kissed you."

Buffy stared at him in shock. He was an attractive guy... and he'd waited for her. What if they'd never met again?

"Didn't think I could do it?" he mocked.

"I didn't think about it at all," she told him.

"You're the only one that I want" Angel replied.

Buffy looked up at him and fell in love with him all over again. "Make love to me" she begged.

Angel kissed her gently, "Ask me again when this mess is all over and I promise, we won't get out of bed for a week."

Buffy put her head against his chest and told him, "You're so evil."

Angel tried not to laugh and said, "Come on partner, let's turn in. If it was Finn on the phone, he's been going at top speed and won't try anything tonight."

As they climbed the stairs together Buffy said, "Angel... I'm glad you're here. Frustrated, but glad."

"Me too."

A few minutes later she laid her head on her pillow and thought about the day. It had totally blown her mind, Finn... Darla... Angel. Angel was suddenly forced back into her life and he was... free, the future never looked so bright. Buffy went to sleep dreaming about the man down the hall... her Angel.

PART 5

Buffy wasn't sure if it was the scream or the crash that woke her, but whatever it was she decided to investigate it. Without a thought to what she was wearing, she jumped out of bed, grabbing her gun as she went. She could her the sound of angry voices as she swiftly raced down the stairs. Her heart was pounding and the adrenaline flowing when she jumped around the corner into her kitchen with her gun raised. Angel and Willow stopped arguing immediately.

"Buffy... you've got your gun out too" Willow cried, "What is going on?" Willow was standing with her back pressed up against the back door. On the floor in front of her lay a broken plate and from it oozed something that was once a cake. Despite the fact that Angel's gun was lowered to his side, Willow's hands remained high in surrender.

"Oh no" Buffy groaned. She put her gun down on the kitchen table and ran over to her friend. "Wils... are you alright? Put your hands down and sit down. What was that any way? Chocolate cake?"

"Not anymore" the redhead replied looking at the mess on the floor.

"Alright what happened?" she asked Angel.

"I thought she was breaking in," Angel said looking at the petite redhead.

"Breaking in... Angel, this is my neighbour," she said in exasperation.

"Buffy, what's up? Are you in trouble?" Willow asked her concerned.

Buffy looked at her, "A little, but don't worry about it."

"Does this mean you can't look after Fritz? Remember my trip to Dallas... Tara's parents?" Willow questioned.

"No, he can stay" she told her ignoring Angel's say no signals. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of him."

Willow quickly left (she was scared to death of Angel, who she considered to be a gun toting maniac). Buffy waved until she was out of sight and then closed the door. She and Angel exchanged icy glares. "How could you?" she demanded, "Willow just so wouldn't hurt a fly. You could've scared her to death!"

"What about me? I heard a car, footsteps and someone at the door. How was I supposed to know that your neighbours deliver you food at the crack of dawn." Scowling, he leaned back against her counter and folded his arms across his chest, "And by the way, we are not baby-sitting. It's too risky."

Buffy gave Angel a strange look, "What are you talking about?"

"Willow's son Fritz."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "Fritz is Willow's dog." Buffy cleaned up the floor and then washed her hands. A second later she felt Angel's arms slide around her and she was pulled back against his body.

"I guess this is where I apologise," he said sighing.

A smile tugged at her lips, "Well... you did overreact."

"Guilty" he buried his face in her hair, "But it's partly your fault."

"How?" she asked in disbelief.

"If you hadn't looked like some sort of sexy avenging angel, I would've kept my head. But I'm only Human and my blood pressure can only take so much" he told her.

"Hey... some backup I'd be if I stopped to change. Besides, this jersey is perfectly respectable. What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing that a swim in the Arctic Ocean wouldn't cure" he said nipping her neck softly.

Buffy's eyes drifted closed from the pleasure. She wriggled in his arms trying to turn to face him, but he wouldn't let her. "Are you going to tell me?" he whispered in her ear.

"Give me a hint... what are we talking about?" Buffy said softly.

"Whom do you know at UC Sunnydale?" he asked.

"So we're talking about the jersey again" she sighed loving the feeling of his mouth on her skin.

"Correction, we're still on the damn jersey."

"Wow, you're cranky in the morning aren't you?" she teased. She yelped as he started to tickle her, "Okay... I don't know anyone there. I bought it on sale, it's comfy and it sorta reminded me of you."

"I should've known" he moaned, "Forgive me?"

"For what?"

Angel chuckled, "I'm going to like arguing with you."

"We didn't argue, we never argue," she told him.

"You used to say the same thing back in LA. I'll tell you what, if we can make up like this from now on, I'll let you call it anything you like." With something close to a growl, he kissed her fiercely and then he pushed her away. "I'll start breakfast. You go upstairs and get dressed."

She blinked startled, "Huh?"

"Out woman" he ordered.

He wasn't... he couldn't be doing this to her again, she couldn't believe it. "Angel... I'm gonna get you for this" she vowed.

"I'll look forward to it," he said gruffly, "Now go, while I can still remember why I'm doing this."

Go to Part 6