PART 6

Twenty minutes later, fresh from a shower, Buffy's frustration had cleared and allowed her to gain some perspective on the situation. She couldn't be annoyed with Angel (even though she wanted to be), it obviously wasn't any easier on him. She had to get a hold of herself, or she wouldn't be of any help to him at all. Angel was right, Finn was the one that they should be concentrating on, otherwise one, or even both of them could end up dead. That was why Angel was putting his own needs aside and the least that she could do was the same, no matter how difficult it would be.

She heard Angel calling her from downstairs and she headed straight down to him. She suddenly stopped in the kitchen doorway and stared at the plate of what appeared to be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. "What's all this?" she asked diplomatically.

"Breakfast" Angel answered sitting down.

"Uh-huh" she said pulling a face.

Noticing her look Angel admitted, "I can't cook."

How could she complain when he'd so obviously wanted to please her? "Isn't there an awful lot of food here?" she asked.

"I'm a hungry boy. This body needs a lot to keep it going."

"You should've let me make you something," she told him feeling guilty and nauseous at the same time.

Angel looked at her, "I wanted to do something for you and this is the limit of my household skills."

"That's so sweet" Buffy replied falling even more in love with him.

"I also wanted to... apologise for last night. You know... what happened with that guy?"

"Xander" she told him.

"Xander" he repeated squishing his sandwich menacingly.

"Yeah. Xander Harris, he's the D. A here."

Angel grumbled and bit a large chunk out of his sandwich viciously.

Buffy stared at him in disbelief, "You're jealous."

"Maybe" Angel muttered.

"Weren't you listening last night when I said that there wasn't anyone?" Buffy asked. "I thought that's why you confessed about not being with anyone either..."

"Either?" Angel asked in shock.

Buffy shook her head, "You still don't get it, do you?"

Angel dropped his food and grabbed her hand. "I gave up dreaming a long time ago. If this situation with Finn hadn't come up... I might not be here."

"Angel" she whispered.

"I'm not sure that I'm what you need. You deserve so much better..."

"Don't start that... it isn't true" Buffy told him, "I love you so much that it hurts."

He reached over and kissed her, "I love you too." He brushed his lips across hers lightly and then losing control, he deepened it.

PART 7

They both jumped when they heard the doorbell ring and when their eyes met they burst out laughing. Angel's laughter ended with a groan, "Someone has lousy timing." Checking his watch he asked, "Isn't it a bit early for company?"

Buffy got up to answer the door and Angel got into position behind it, as she checked the peephole. "Doyle..." she murmured in surprise. She'd barely opened the door when he'd burst in.

He hugged her, "Five seconds more and I would of kicked the door down. I don't know whether to spank ya or kiss ya."

"I'd suggested neither" Angel replied angrily from behind.

Doyle stilled, "I hope that you're O'Brien."

"It's okay" she assured them both. "Angel, this is my partner, Francis Doyle. Doyle, this is Angel O'Brien."

Doyle extended his hand, "Pleased to meet ya."

Only after Angel accepted it did she calm down. "What are you doing here, Doyle? And how did you know about Angel?"

"Does the name Giles mean anythin' to ya? 'Cause he called HQ and talked to Wes... apparently they're old drinkin' buddies... then Wes called me. Since I live nearby, I said that I'd check it out," Doyle told them.

"So what's wrong with using the phone?" she complained.

"You should talk..." Doyle said, "I'm your partner, ya should have called me."

"No lectures Doyle. We were gonna head downtown soon."

"Okay... but Wes wants you there by eleven... and I'm coming" Doyle informed her.

"No" Buffy said.

"I'm in Summers" he replied.

"No. You've got a pregnant wife at home, who doesn't need you pulling special duty" Buffy objected.

"Cordy is behind me on this" Doyle told her.

"Tell Cordy she doesn't get a vote."

Angel came up behind her, "It might not be such a bad idea. If we need backup, I'd rather have someone that you trust."

"Wait a minute..." Buffy protested, "You have to understand..."

"I knew that I liked him," Doyle said laughing.

"Don't get a big head, Doyle. I think what he likes about you is the pregnant wife" Buffy replied dryly.

Doyle put on a look of mock horror, "Angel-face... are ya two-timin' me?"

"Doyle, if you get a black eye over this, I'm not gonna help you explain it to Cordy."

Then the three of them headed into the kitchen to discuss the strategy of how to deal with the lunatic Finn.

A few hours later a quiet Angel and Buffy drove back to the house. "What's wrong? Angel asked her.

"Nothing" Buffy lied.

"It's Doyle? Isn't it?"

"He and Cordy are my best friends..." she choked out, "I don't think I could deal if he got hurt because of me."

"He'll be fine" Angel assured her.

"What if he's not? Cordy's seven-and-a-half months pregnant. I feel so guilty" she told him.

Angel stopped the car in her drive and went to get her mail; she took it from him and sifted through the stack. Buffy pulled out a sheet of paper and after she read it, she paled.

"What is it?" Angel asked worriedly.

Buffy handed it to him, "Damn."

The piece of paper read, 'IT'S TIME'.

PART 8

"Well, there goes the neighbourhood" Buffy said weakly trying to lighten the mood.

"There goes your speculation on whether he shows up or not" Angel replied grimly.

Buffy quickly looked around her, "Do you think he's still out there?"

"I don't know" Angel told her honestly. They went inside and as soon as he stepped through the door Angel asked, "Is it me or is it hot in here?"

"The air-conditioner? It's still going" Buffy told him after checking it.

"Shut it off and I'll take a look at it" Angel told her heading outside.

Buffy was waiting at the door when he returned. "That bad, huh?" she asked after seeing his face.

"We're going to need a repairman and since it's not only the weekend, but also the busiest season... guess how easy that is going to be" Angel said sarcastically.

"He's getting to you," she told him.

Angel took a calming breath, "This isn't what I expected... I thought he'd be confrontational. I didn't think he was smart enough to pull this type of thing off."

"I know" Buffy agreed. She gave him a quick kiss and was about to say something when the phone rang. "Go away" Buffy grumbled at the phone.

Angel smiled, "Let me get it, it might be Giles."

Buffy watched him pick up the phone and it soon became apparent that it wasn't Giles on the phone. Angel told the person to hold and handed her the phone. "Please tell your idiot friend the D. A, that I'm not an axe-murderer" Angel grumbled.

Buffy took the phone, "Hey Xan. What's up?" She then filled her friend in on recent events. She Xander well enough to know that if he wasn't satisfied that she was telling the truth he'd call Wes for the real information. When she hung up she headed straight into Angel's arms.

A few minutes later Angel let her go and said, "I'm kind of hot, so I'm going to ditch my shirt... think you can handle the temptation?"

She tried to laugh, "Probably not, but you won't let me do anything about it."

To Buffy's surprise he didn't smile or tease her. Instead he frowned, "Buffy... you do understand why we need this time and space don't you?"

"Yeah, but I don't like it or agree... except for the part about concentrating on Finn... but I understand. And if it'll make you feel better, I actually respect you for it. You make me feel... special."

"You are..." he began, but when he saw Doyle's car drive by he let her go and changed the subject. "There's Doyle. When he's settled next door, I'll call him on the radio and fill him in."

PART 9

That night after dinner they were sitting in the living room, while Buffy raised Doyle over the radio. They were discussing the schedule for the night watch. "I'll take the first watch" Angel volunteered, "Tell Doyle to take over at three."

Doyle agreed to take over and Buffy signed off, promising to make him breakfast in the morning. When she sat down next to Angel, he had a funny look on his face. "Now what?" she asked.

"I don't want Finn to find out about Doyle. Having him over will look suspicious."

"Angel... here in Sunnydale, neighbours visit neighbours, that is all Finn will see" Buffy said. Still, she saw hesitation on his face, "Look Doyle's a worse cook than you... it's my duty to save you both from starvation."

Angel slumped into the couch trying not to smile at the Buffy logic. "Alright" he told her, "But don't get any fancy ideas, if he wants to eat he comes here... okay?"

"Yep."

He narrowed his eyes at her surrender. "Why are you sitting on the other side of the couch?" he asked her.

"Your rationing me, remember?" she replied.

"Oh, poor baby. Come here" he said opening his arms.

She threw herself into them, curling up against him. When he pulled her closer, she sighed with pleasure, loving the feeling of being there with him.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yeah" she said trying not to yawn.

"Don't go to sleep on me," he scolded her, "Tell me what you've been up to all this time?"

"No."

"You used to be into everything..." he prompted.

"I'm taking a break," she told him, "I feel like I'm standing at some cross-road, trying to figure out what direction my life should take."

Angel stroked her chin, "Looks like I arrived just in time."

She tilted her head back and looked at him. "I still can't believe that you're here" she whispered, "I'm so happy that it hurts."

"I know, it's the same for me. I haven't felt this good or bad since the first time that I kissed you." He thought back to that one brief moment that he'd lost control, giving into the urge that had been slowly driving him crazy.

~He'd driven Buffy home from a police baseball game because her car had been in the shop. One second he was watching her reach for the door handle and the next... something in him must have snapped. Suddenly he was dragging her across the seats of his car and onto his lap, taking her gasping mouth under his. For a few precious moments they were both oblivious to everything around them, seeking what they knew they couldn't have, taking what they knew couldn't last. Then another car pulled in breaking the moment and Buffy ran. Two weeks later she was gone. ~

Angel tightened his arms around her until she could barely breathe, "Oh God, I missed you so much."

Buffy swallowed the lump in her throat, "There wasn't a day that passed... that I didn't wanna call you and find out how you were coping with... things."

"It's alright," Angel told her, "We're together now and that's all that matters."

The phone rang shortly after ten and Buffy answered it, receiving a brief silence and then a low, unpleasant laugh.

"Hello beautiful."

It wasn't a voice that would stand out in a crowd, but she knew exactly who it was. "Finn."

When Angel heard that name he move instantly to her side.

"It's nice that you remembered me... a man likes to think he makes an impression."

She ignored his comment, "Congratulations on your parole. I hope that you aren't gonna do anything stupid now."

"Is that why O'Brien's there? Is he worried? Did the big man come to warn his friend... or is he after a little?" he taunted.

"You know, you're really getting boring" Buffy snapped.

"We can't have that now, can we? Just tell your boyfriend he's wasting his time... he can't catch me."

"Finn, wait!" Buffy began as the line went dead.

Angel pulled her close, "It'll be alright."

"I hope so" Buffy said breaking away from him. "I'd better call HQ and fill them in."

Angel agreed and then radioed Doyle so that he was up to date. When they were finished Angel suggested that she go to bed.

Buffy went realising that she and Angel needed some time apart, to get some perspective and concentrate on getting out of this mess, so that they could live happily ever after.

Angel watched her go and wished that he could follow her without any risk. Cursing Finn, he went and got himself coffee and returned to the living room, where he prowled from window to window. Eventually he settled in an armchair and spent a long time fighting back images of Buffy in bed.

PART 10

It was still dark when Buffy awoke, hot and miserable. She twisted around and glanced at the clock on her nightstand, it said 3:47. She wasn't due to get up for another three hours and she was now wide-awake. The house was quiet and since Angel and Doyle had changed shifts at three, it meant that he was also asleep. She was thirsty so she got up to get a glass of water and momentarily paused to consider her outfit, boxer shorts and a sports bra. She decided not to change, after all she was just gonna go get a drink and head back upstairs.

She was halfway down the hall when a dark figure came out of the bathroom and slammed into her. Buffy's gasp became a shriek as something cold and icy splashed over her. "That's freezing," she said through chattering teeth.

"I thought that I'd bring you up a drink" he explained feeling like a giant klutz, "But I drank half, so I went into the bathroom to refill it... sorry." He reached into the bathroom and got her a towel and then like a masochist watched her dry herself.

"Thanks I guess... I was just gonna go get a drink, instead one got me" she joked. She looked at him and found him studying her outfit... her wet, clingy outfit. "I thought you'd be asleep by now."

He grunted and disappeared into the bathroom, when he returned he shoved the glass into her hands, "Here."

"Thanks" she replied taking a drink.

He put the glass on a cabinet and turned back to face her, unable to stop staring at her wet clothing. "Are you cold?"

"No..." she said embarrassed, "I'll dry."

Looking at her all of his good intentions went out of the window. If he thought that he could watch her turn around and walk back into her room now, then he truly was certifiable. "Why don't you take it off?" he suggested hoarsely, "It'll dry quicker."

Buffy's heart started to beat wildly and she looked at him, "Are you sure?"

"More than ever" he told her.

Buffy went willingly into his arms and he carried her off to his bedroom.

Later they both lay there in silence, until Angel broke it. "Buffy...." he began.

"Hmm?"

"I think I died" he finished.

Buffy smiled, "What a way to go." She looked him in the eye and said, "I love you."

Angel pulled her to him and kissed her until she was breathless. "They'll never invent the words to describe what I feel for you," he told her. Suddenly he demanded, "Marry me? You didn't say yes when I asked earlier."

"I don't recall a proposal" Buffy said confused.

"There was one."

"In that case... Yes!" she told him. "So now that I have you, what else could I possibly need?"

Only for a moment did Angel's confidence waver, but he only had to look into her eyes to regain it. "I was hoping that you'd say children" he said, "Imagine it... you, me and a little one."

She smiled, "Of course I've thought about it. I'd love to have your baby... got a preference?"

He closed his eyes momentarily and thanked God for his miracle, Buffy. "A boy... a girl... a squadron. If they're yours, I'll take them all."

Buffy laughed, "How many's in a squadron?"

"I forget" Angel said. "Talk about forgetting..."

"What?"

"Control" he muttered kissing her, "I'm sorry... I didn't think... I mean I didn't use..."

"It's okay. My doctor put me on the pill to alleviate cramps. Nice thought though?"

Angel laced his fingers through hers and drew them to his lips. "Yeah, but I happen to be conventional enough to prefer you have my ring on your finger first."

Buffy nibbled his ear, "Well... hurry up and do it."

"I plan to," Angel told her kissing her.

Go to Part 11