Rating: Same as the show.
Disclaimer: Don't own them, yada, yada, yada, Joss Whedon's and everyone else has rights to them. Scenes are similar to "Angel." All those scenes belong to the writer and junk. But with changes that belong to me.
Series: 6th, in the Rewriting Series... ooh, 6!!!
Author's Notes:  The next ep in the series, "Angel." I liked the name so much, that I just added a few words around it.
Summary: Just like the ep.... but with my special twist to it.
Dedication: This story is dedicated to my mother, believe it or not. Who I actually got her addicted to Btvs! She tapes it every time it airs and makes my step dad watch it too!! Ah... the tortures for a step father!! Though my mom and I are both in competition for who loves angel the most, I think i do between the 2 of us, because she's got a thing for spike too, and i'm a one girl vampire lover... and there goes my dang mouth again!!!

Collin was tossing stones into the pool. He liked to watch heavy things, who appeared strong, sink to the bottom of the pool... a weakness almost every vampire or mortal had.

He took a few more from the Master's hand, just as Darla came into the lair.

"Zachary didn't return from the hunt last night." The Master stated. "Slayer." Darla hissed.

The Master sighed, "Zachary was strong, and he was careful. And still the Slayer takes him... as she has taken so many of my family." He took a breath, "It wears thin. Collin, what would you do about it?"

Collin looked up at him, and answered simply, "I'd annihilate her."

The Master Inhaled deeply, proud, "Out of the mouths of babes..."

Darla made her way down the steps, "Let me do it, Master. Let me kill her for you." She practically begged.

"You have a personal interest in this." He reminded her. "I don't get to have any fun." Darla whined. "I will send the Three." The Master said.

Darla lifted a brow, "The Three?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside of the Bronze, gang members were running as fast as they could, away from the danger...

Inside the Bronze, a helpless cockroach was being chased along the floor. "Get it! Go get it, right there!" A boy shouted. "I got it!" A girl cried, holding the roach up to the bartender and droping it into his jar, "Free drink, please." The bartender nodded his head and left to get the drink.

"Ah, the fumigation party." Willow mused, sitting at their usually table with Buffy.

"Hmm?" Buffy murmured.

"It's an annual tradition." Willow explained, "The closing of the Bronze for a few days to nuke the cockroaches?"

Buffy played with the napkin in front of her, not really paying attention, "Oh."

"It's a lot of fun..." Willow said, then looked at her friend, pointedly, "What's it like where *you* are?"

Buffy looked up and smiled sheepishly, "I'm... sorry, I was just... thinking about things..."

Willow frowned, "So, we're talking about a guy?"

Buffy shrugged, "Not exactly a guy. For us to have a conversation about a guy, there'd have to be a guy for us to have a conversation about. Is that a sentence?"

Willow smiled, "You lack a guy."

"I do." Buffy said sadly, "I really do. Which is fine with me, most of the time, but..."

Willow thought a moment, "What about Angel?"

Buffy scoffed, "Angel? I can just see him in a relationship. 'Hi, honey, you're in grave danger. I'll see you next time something big and scary comes along. Though, I'm probably too busy winning the hearts of all those college sluts.'" She pouted.

"He's not around much, it's true. But, Giles said he was a wonderer. And, he's got all these arrands to run for Giles so you don't have to go and get out of classes." Willow frowned while Buffy just laughed.

"When he is around... it's like the lights dim everywhere else. You know how it's like that with some guys?" Buffy asked.

Willow smiled, looking over toward Xander, "Oh, yeah!"

Buffy giggled softly, "Still pining after the Xan-man?"

Willow blinked, looking at Buffy again, "Oh... yeah... hopelessly."

Buffy shook her head, "Go ask him to dance."

The red-head shook her head furiously, "Oh, no! I couldn't! I mean, look at him," She gestured to where Xander was dancing, just before he bumped into Cordelia, "I mean, look at him... I couldn't keep up with him. He's a dancer. A dancing fool! Well, not a fool, but he's a dancer, and oh.... I don't even know if I can dance!"

"Its okay Wills," Buffy said, just before Xander walked toward their table, "Boy, that Cordelia is a regular breath of vile air." Xander said sarcastically, "What are you vixens up to?"

Willow spoke up, "Just sitting here, watching our barren lives pass us by." She glanced at the floor, "Oh, look, a cockroach." She said before she stompped it.

Buffy lifted her eyes to see and then turned them back down. "Whoa, well, let's stop this crazy whirligig of fun! I'm dizzy!" Xander said sarcastically.

"Alright, now I'm infecting those nearest and dear to me." Buffy said grumpily, "I'm gonna call it a night."

"Oh, don't go!" Willow said.

"Uh, yeah! It's early!" Xander said frantically, "We could, um, dance!"

Buffy smiled sadly, "Rain check? Good night." She left.

Xander let out a breath. Willow held her shoe up to him, "Want a free drink?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy made her way out of the Bronze, looking and feeling bummed. She couldn't figure out why... she just felt... bummed. She passed the stairs, then turned to look at the stairs, feeling an odd chill run up her spine. No one was there. She shrugged, putting her coat on as she made her way out of the club and onto the streets.

She started to make her route home when she sensed something and stopped to look behind her. Nothing. She frowned, and walked past an alley. Suddenly, she stopped, "It's late, I'm tired, and I don't wanna play games. Show yourself."

Without warning, one of the Three roared and dropped down to the sidewalk behind her. She reached into her coat, pulled out a stake and quickly spun around to stake the vampire. Another of the Three grabbed her arm as she attempted to swing. "Uh!" Buffy grunted as the third member came up on her other side and grabbed her other arm.

"Oooh! Okay, okay, nice..." Buffy said as they pulled her into the alley and up against a fence. The first one approached her. "Okay, okay... Look, I really don't want to have to fight all three of you... unless I have to." She snapped kicked him in the crotch, elbowed the third, and tried to punch the second. He blocked her swing and thrusted his knee in to her gut, slamming her into the fence. The other two recovered by the time she got ahold of her bearings and grabbed her again. The second one slowly approached her with death in his eyes.

Buffy struggled to get away. Silently wishing she stayed for that dance....

The vampire came up to Buffy, grabbed her head and moved in to bite. Buffy closed her eyes, trying to prepare for a bite she knew would come when suddenly she felt a shift in the air. She opened her eyes again and saw Angel holding her attacker by the hair, "Good dogs
don't..." Angel punched the vampire, " ...*bite*!" Buffy was surprised, but quickly regained her head. Using the support of the two vampires holding onto her arms, she kicked up with both feet and hit them both in the face with a straddle kick. One of them grabbed her again and held her against the fence.

Angel continued to fight the other two, punching one and snap kicking the second. One of them pulled a piece of iron bar off of a window and Buffy caught sight of it, "Look out!" Angel turned, only to be sliced in the chest with the bar. Buffy shoved an open palm into her assailant's chin, pushing him off of her, punching him once in the gut and then slamming both fists into his head.

Angel was bent over in pain and was about to be stabbed again, but she quickly kicked his attacker in the face, and he momentarily watched as he fell back away from Angel. She helped Angel up, "Run!"

Buffy and Angel managed to run all the way to her home in one piece, the Three on their tails.

"Get in! C'mon!" Buffy shouted, rushing inside, Angel right behind her. Buffy slammed the door on one of the vampire's hands. He struggled a moment, but pulled his hand back out. She slammed the door shut and locked it. The vampire looked in through the glass. Another one looked in through the window.

"It's alright." Angel said, "A vampire can't come in unless it's invited."

"I've heard that before, but I've never put it to the test." Buffy leanned on the door, sighing, but then remembered  his wound, "Oh... I'll go get some bandages, just..." She took in a deep breath, "take your jacket and your shirt off." She hurried into the kitchen.

Angel looked out the window one last time and followed her. He shed his jacket and his T-shirt off, placing them onto the counter. Buffy looked at him from behind after retrieving the first-aid kit and saw his tattoo over his many rippling back muscles. She brings over the first aid kit, compliementing on the tattoo, " I was lucky you came along." She looked up at him, "How did you happen to come along?" She began to bandage him up.

Angel shrugged, "I was just out walking. Finishing up a midnight's slaying."

Buffy frowned inside, disappointed as her warm hands moved over his slightly chilly flesh, "So, you weren't following me? I just had this feeling you were."

Angel smiled down at her, "Why on earth would I do that?"

"You tell me." Buffy said, "You're the mystery guy that appears out of nowhere. I'm not saying I'm not happy about it tonight, but... if you are hanging around, for non-slaying reasons, I'd like to know why." She finished the bandaging, lightly trailing her hand over her work while keeping eye contact with him.

"Maybe I like you." Angel teased.

Buffy caught on, looking up at him, "Maybe..."

They smiled at each other. Angel was about to say something, when Buffy heard the sound of the door opening. She panicked, jumping a little before running out of the kitchen. Angel watched her go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hi!" Joyce said pleasantly, "What are you doing?"

"There's a lot of weird people outside at night..." Buffy started as Joyce moved toward the kitchen.

Buffy followed after her, "...I just feel better with you safe and sound inside. You must be beat." "I am. We're a little gallery. You have no idea how much..."

"Well, then why don't you go upstairs and get into bed, and I can bring you some hot tea?" Buffy suggested.

Joyce smiled, "That's sweet! What'd you do?" She asked, "Did you and Dawn break another statue?"

Buffy laughed softly, "Can't a daughter just be concerned about her mother?"

Almost on cue, (very bad timing) Angel came into the living room behind Buffy. Then cursed himself for not waiting a little longer. Joyce spotted him, "Hi."

"Hi." Angel said friendly.

"Oh." Buffy murmured, "Okay... Um... Angel, uh, this is my mom. Mom, this is Angel. Uh, we ran into each other on the way home."

Angel smiled, "Nice to meet you, Ms. Summers."

"What do you do, Angel?" Joyce asked.

"He's a student." Buffy almost cried. Her mother gave her a disbelieving look, "Uh, first year community college. Angel's been helping me with my history, you know I've been toiling there." She joked. *At least its not a total lie... Angel will be starting college next year... I just don't know which one...*

"It's a little late for tutoring. And, I think Dawn would appreciate it if we be quiet so... I'm gonna go to bed, and, uh, Buffy?" She started up the stairs.

"I'll say good night and do the same!" Buffy said, perkily.

Joyce looked back down at her daughter and nodded. "It was nice to meet you." She said to Angel before leaving the downstairs for her warm bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was at the front door, holding it open. She called out to the neighborhood, her voice loud on purpose, "Good night! We'll hook up soon and do that study thing!" She closed the door. Angel was still there behind it, smiling lightly as they went up the stairs and into her room. She closed the door quietly.

Angel glanced around her darkened room, growing tense and uneasy, "Look, I don't wanna get you in any more trouble..."

"And I don't wanna get you dead. They could still be out there." Buffy moved to the center of the room, "So, uh, oh..."

Their eyes settling on her bed that was obviously made to fit two....they both glanced at one another with slightly wide eyes, "...two of us, one bed. That doesn't work...." Her words trailed as she faced him, "Um, why don't you take the bed? Y'know, you're wounded..."

He smiled at her concern, touched by her sweet and caring nature, "I'll take the floor." He cut off her protests, "Oh, believe me, I've had worse."

Buffy nodded, "Okay. Um, then why don't you check and see if the Fang Gang is still loitering and, um, keep your back turned while I change?" She asked, her voice echoing off of the walls. Did she really just ask that?

She watched as he nodded numbly, moving over to the window to have a look as Buffy went to her closet and started to change. "I don't see them." Angel said, peering out of the blinds of her window.  "Y'know, I'm playing the Chosen One here... why do you do this Angel?" Buffy
asked.

Angel laughed softly, "Uh, somebody has to."

"Well, I have to, don't I?"

"You do...." Angel said, "..but... what happens after?"

Buffy finished changing, and moved to him, "What do you mean?"

Angel faced her, "I-I..."

Buffy's eyes widened slightly when she discovered his real meaning. He he fought, not only for the memory of his mother, not only because he had to, because he was obligated to by duty... he fought because he didn't want her to end up like his mother...

"I'm sorry, Angel." Buffy murmured, "If it means anything, I`m not gonna die so soon...."

Angel paused, trying his best to change the subject, "Y-you even look pretty when you go to sleep."

Buffy smiled, glancing down at the little fancy pajama`s she had chosen, instead of her occasional baggy pj pants and large shirt, "Well, when I wake up it's an entirely different story." Buffy joked as they moved to her bed. She handed him the comforter from it.

"Here." She smiled softly, "Sleep tight."

He smiled before laying the comforter down on the floor next to her bed. Buffy climbed into her bed as he layed on the comforter. There was a brief silence before Buffy found the courage to speak up, "Angel?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you snore?" Buffy asked, tentaively. Angel smiled, his eyes still closed, "I don't know. It's been a long time since anybody's been in a position to let me know." He turned his head to look at her. She smiled in return, trying her best to settle in to sleep.

Sleep had almost claimed Angel when Buffy's voice spoke up again, "Angel?"

"Hmm?" She paused a moment, "What are you going to do tomorrow?"

Angel looked up at her, "Go check in with Giles...?"

"No, I mean--how? You're stuck up here."

Angel paused before answering, "I'll just climb out of your window in the morning."

"Right..." Buffy said, almost sadly, "In the morning..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"He spent the night? In your room? In your bed?!" Xander shouted at the top of his lungs, shooting Angel a deadly look, which he, in turn, ignored.

Buffy rolled her eyes, "Not *in* my bed, *by* my bed." She exchanged a look with Angel who nodded, as if to prove her words more so.

Willow smiled dreamily, "Guys, that's so romantic... Oh, uh... did you, uh... I mean, did he, uh..." Willow cast her gaze to Angel then back to Buffy. She was blushing a little at her implied words.

Buffy smiled at Willow, "Perfect gentleman." The girls exchange smiles.

"You sure?" Xander started, "Buffy--" Xander looked to Angel, "And no offense to, this is just a big scolding thing--wake up and smell the seduction! It's the oldest trick in the book." Buffy laughed, while Angel said, "What? Saving her life? Getting slashed in the ribs?"

"Duh!" Xander shook his head, "I mean, guys'll do anything to impress a girl."

Angel looked at Buffy, "He has a point." Buffy rolled her eyes, "Yet somehow we managed to keep our hands off each other."

Giles came to the table, "Can we steer this riveting conversation back to the events that happened earlier in the evening?" Buffy sighed, moving to sit down, "You left the Bronze and were set upon by three unusually virile vampires." Giles placed a book in front of her, "Did they look like this?"

"Yeah. What's with the uniforms?" Buffy asked as Angel peered over her shoulder. "It seems you encountered the Three. Warrior vampires, very proud and very strong." Giles explained.

"How is it you always know this stuff?" Willow asked the Watcher, "You always know what's going on. I never know what's going on."

"Well, you weren't here from midnight until six researching it." Giles said dryly.

"No, I was sleeping."

"Uh, o-obviously you're hurting the Master very much. He, he wouldn't send the, the Three for just anyone. We must step up our training with weapons." Giles said.

"Buffy, you should stay at my house until these Samurai guys are history." Xander said quikly.

Both Buffy and Angel turned to him, "What?"

"Ah-ah-ah, don't worry about Angel, Buffy." Xander turned to Angel, "you should get out of town fast."

Giles started, "Angel and Buffy are, are not in any immediate jeopardy. Eventually the Master will send someone else, but in the mean time the Three, having failed, will offer their own lives in penance."

"That's a good thing, right?" Willow asked.

"Yep," Buffy said happily, "Oh, and as far go as that training thing, can we do it right after school? I can't come by later. Mom, Dawn and I are sorta having family dinner, so its a no to slaying."

Giles nodded, "That would be quite alright." Buffy smiled, grabbing her bag from under the table, she started to go when Angel walked toward her and caught her by the arm.

"Was Dawn up last night?" He asked, a little worried. Buffy thought a moment, "No. I don't think so... and if she was, I know she wouldn't tattle. She'd just use it against me as blackmail." Suddenly she frowned.... "Oh, no! What did I get myself into last night?"

Angel smiled as he followed her to the door, "Obviously more than you can handle." Abruptly, Buffy turned to Angel, "What is that suppose to mean?" Angel shrugged, "Nothing." 

"Oh," Buffy looked at the clock, "Mmm! We get out for lunch in ten minutes." Buffy looked up at Angel, "Care to join me?" Angel smiled, "You command, and I obey as the lady wishes," Angel bowed which caused Buffy to giggled. She lightly slapped his arm, then took it into her own before they left the library.

Willow smiled as she made her way out of the library and toward the cafateria. She had seen the way Buffy and Angel looked at each other at times, and was happy that their little, `I hate you!' game was being put on the back burner. She twirled the pen she popped out of her bag, in her fidgetting fingers as she made her way down the hall.

"Wills," Xander called, making his way toward her. Willow immediately brightened more so, "Hey! What's up?" Xander's worried statement led to Willow's own, "Wills, I gotta now something." Xander started, "When did Angel and Buff get so chummy?"

Willow frowned, "What--"

"I mean, it doesn't bother me that they both can kick vampire butt. It doesn't bother me that they're always fighting. It doesn't bother me that he's giving her presents and junk. Heck, it doesn't bother me that he's been in her room!" Xander ranted, "But, you wanna know what really bugs me? The fact that she likes him! Likes him more than me."'

"Oh, Xander," Willow began, "Buffy likes you. She likes all of us. She's just going through some emotionaly things. And, I think she can relate to Angel more because of the whole `Slayer' power thingy. Its a girly girl thing, Xander. It'll pass..." Though inside, Willow doubted it.

"You're right," Xander said, sighing, "Well, there's nothing I can do now.. how about I treat ya to lunch, Willster?"

Willow brightened, "Sure! You're buying!"

"I'm buying," Xander said, then thought that over, "I don't have any money for two..."

"Oh! Then, uh.. we're both buying! We'll buy together!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Cool." Buffy said happily as she took it off its hanging spot, "Crossbow!" She noticed the bolts, "Huh. Check out these babies. Hmm. Goodbye stakes, hello flying fatality. What can I shoot?" Buffy asked, excitedly.

"Um, nothing. The crossbow comes later." He took the crossbow from her and went to put it back. Buffy frowned, looking over toward Angel who simply shrugged.

"You must first become proficient with the basic tools of combat." Giles said, "And let's begin..." He came back with two poles, "...with the quarterstaff. Which, incidentally, will, uh, require countless hours of vigorous training. I speak from experience."

"Giles, 20th Century?" Buffy started, "I'm not gonna be fighting Friar Tuck."

"You never know with whom or what you'll be fighting." Giles said while putting on his head pads, "And these traditions have been handed down through the ages. Now, you show me good, steady progress with the quarterstaff, and in due course we'll discuss the crossbow. Put on your pads."

Angel and Buffy laughed shortly.

Buffy cleared her throat, "I'm not gonna need pads to fight you."

Giles raised a brow, "Well, we'll see about that. En garde!"

Angel watched his uncle make several thrusts, which Buffy parried with ease. She began to take the offensive, pushing his staff to the floor, then punching him in the face. Angel winced, hoping that his uncle's pads would help as Buffy came around with the staff into Giles' back, and again to knock his legs out from under him. He fell onto his back. Buffy smiled, standing over him as Angel came and stood on Giles'other side.

"Good. Let's move on to the crossbow."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That was great, mom," Buffy said as she placed her fork down, and grabbed a napkin to wip her mouth. She had just finished eating her mother's gourmet lasagna, and she felt as if she couldn't eat another bite.

"Thank you," Joyce said proudly, gathering her plate up, "Dawnie, could you please help me with the dishes?"

Dawn frowned, "But mom! Why can't Buffy help you with the dishes?" Before Joyce could answer, the doorbell rang, and Buffy took the oppurunity, "Because Buffy has to go answer the door," She said, geetting up from her seat and moving to the door.

She peeked through the peep hole, just be sure that it wasn't one of the Master's minions, trying to take advantage of her family. But she sighed instead, drawing the door open and smiling, "Angel." She held onto the door handle, "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to return this," Angel said, raising the leather jacket he had given to her not too long ago, "You left it in my car."

"Oh," Buffy said, a bit sheepishly. She took it from his arms, "Sorry you had to come all the way over here."

Angel shrugged, "Its not like I had anything better to do tonight. With Uncle Giles' sturdy rule about not slaying, what else could I have done?"

Buffy shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know... you could have gone to the Bronze... with Cordelia..." She murmured, remembering how Cordelia had been all over him at the Bronze a couple of nights ago. She had been a little hurt, and scared at the same time, her heart falling into the pit of her stomach at the sight of Cordy using every excuse she could to hold onto him as if he was some kinda of pet. Then, after, with everything that had happened last night, she didn't know what to think.

"Cordelia?" Angel lifted a brow, "Why would I do that? I told you before, she makes my skin crawl at times... she's kinda of... possessive, even when some possessions aren't even hers."

"But I saw you... a while ago... I saw you with her and her snobby friends."

Angel shook his head, "I was looking for you. Giles wanted us to patrol because he noticed some strange activity. Cordelia caught me off guard when I came to the Bronze. I wanted to brush her off, but she wouldn't stop talking... that girl has quite the mouth."

"Oh," Buffy said, then almost sheepishly, "Oh... wow... don't I feel stupid."

Angel laughed, "You didn't think that I would go--"

"No!" Buffy started, "No, I would... I mean, never would I even...y'know what? Its not important."

"Buffy?" Joyce called as she and her youngest daughter came into the living room and towards her, "Who's at the... oh, hello Angel."

Angel bowed slightly, "Good evening Ms. Summers."

Dawn's eyebrows raised, "Hey! Aren't you that--"

Buffy clamped her hand over Dawn's mouth, "Yes, Dawnie, he's my history tutor. You remember?"

Dawn rolled her eyes, "Right. Your history tutor!" Dawn murmured softly, "Now I get it."

Joyce frowned, but ignored it nontheless, "Uh... we were just about to settle down for some ice cream. Would you like to join us, Angel?"

Buffy's eyes widened, and she moved to stnad in front of her mother. She stared into her mother's eyes, signaling with her eyes that it was a bad idea. Shaking her head slightly.

Joyce stared at her daughter, "Honey, what is wrong with you? Are you okay?"

Angel smiled, "Thank you, Mrs. Summers. I'd like that very much,"

Joyce smiled in return, "Dawn, why don't you get the ice cream ready."

Dawn frowned, grumbling to herself as she left the room, "Why do I always have to do these things."

Joyce smiled, "You have to excuse Dawn. She's still adjusting to moving here."

"I can understand that," Angel said as he entered, Buffy closing the door behind her.

"You've just moved here?" Joyce asked.

Angel nodded, "Around the same time Buffy started school."

Buffy took the moment to cut in, "Yeah, the librarian, Mr. Giles, is his uncle. He just moved here, too. He's from England."

Joyce smiled, "England? That must be intresting. I'll have to speak with him about some new artifacts the gallery just retrieved from England.

Angel smiled, "He would like that."

"What kind of ice cream do you like Angel?" Joyce asked as Buffy and he sat down at the table.

"Oh, any will do. You wouldn't happen to have any chocolete peanut butter ice cream?"

Buffy's eyes widened, "You like chocolete peanut butter icecream?"

"Yeah," Angel said.

"What a coincidence," Joyce said before she left, "That's one of Buffy's favorite ice cream flavors."

Buffy laughed, "Oh... wow.."

"What?" Angel asked.

Buffy shrugged, "I just think its sorta funny that you're not embarrassing me in front of my family."

Angel smirked, "Why would I do that?"

"Cuz its your nature?" She asked, sarcastically.

"Relax, Buffy," He said, "Believe it or not, I can behave."

"Like you did when you were a hyena?"

Angel shot her a dirty look, "That was not my fault. I don't even remember what happened."

"Liar." Buffy said.

"Am not," Angel retorted.

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am. Not." Angel said sternly.

Buffy rolled her eyes, before folding her hands into the nook of her crossed arms, "Are too..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time Dawn went to bed, the Summers home was quiet and peaceful. Buffy had told her mother that she would see Angel out, which Joyce had agreed, saying goodnight to bother her daughter and Angel before heading up to bead. Now, standing outside on the back porch of her home, Buffy struggled to keep a conversation going.

"So," She started, "What'd you do all day?"

"I spent most of it with you," Angel reminded her.

Buffy smiled as she settled her arms onto the railing. Angel did the same, both of them starring up into the stars, "I've been thinking about about a lot of things."

"Like what?" Buffy asked.

Angel started, looking down, "I did a lot of thinking today. I really can't be around you." Buffy looked up, hurt, "Because when I am..."

Buffy looked down, "Hey, no big. Water... over the bridge, under the bridge..."

"God, when I am.." Angel sighed, looking at her, "all I can ever think about is how badly I want to kiss you."

" ...over the dam..." Buffy looked up at him, as his words finally hit her, "Kiss me?"

Angel started, "I'm older than you, there's a lot about me you don't know, and this can't ever... I better go."

"Why?" Buffy asked, sort of in a daze.

"I should..."

Buffy approached him, "...go... You said..."

Angel looked down at her as she moved her head toward his own, he cradled her chin with his fingers. Softly, they kissed, gentle and unsure. *Angel... Angel...* Buffy sang inside as Angel kissed her. Her heart fluttered as Angel pulled her closer as they kissed passionately. She placed her arm around him, loving the way he felt against her. How soft his lips were, how his hands were strong against her back and arms. She was about to pull back, in need of air, when she heard a loud growl.

"Angelus!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel pulled away from Buffy, and his eyes widened at the sight before him, "Darla...."

Darla wore her game face, but he could still see the look of shock and utter disgust hiding under her vampire visage, "Angelus... it was bad enough... seeing you fight with this child! But kissing her, too?"

Angel stood in front of Buffy, taking a degensive stance, even as Darla started toward the porch steps, "Why have you betrayed me?"

Buffy looked at Angel, confused. She recognized the vampire from the night at The Bronze. The girl who led Jesse to his death.

"I've done nothing, Darla," Angel said, his voice calm, but his body tense. Worried for the safety of Buffy. "We're not together anymore. Every thing we've been through is dead. It died the day you were turned."

Darla grinned wickedly, "You're not *still* mad at me for letting Lothos kill your mother, now are you?"

Angel flinched at Darla's words while Buffy grew even more confused. She had fougth Lothos almost two years ago, and had won. Merrick had told her that he had migrated from Europe after killing the previous Slayer... had Lothos killed Angel's mother in England? *Oh God...* Buffy thought as she held onto Angel's arm.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Angel snapped, "You lead that monster to my mother!"

"I did it for us," Darla purred, "With mummy dearest out of the way, I thought you'd want to spend enternal life with me. Come with me Angelus. It'll be so sweet."

"No," Angel barked, "I'll never be like you. You're nothing but a sick monster. You're not even a reflection of the person Darla used to be."

Darla snarled, "Fine with me." She started to move back down the porch steps, "But I can't say anything about your cheerleader." She said, clasping her hands behind her, "The moment the Master rises... she'll be nothing more than meat." She smiled, "Will you love her then?" With that, Darla disappeared into the night. Leaving a confused Buffy and disturbed Angel to themseleves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Darla watched from the shadows as Angel left and Buffy stayed out on the porch watching him. She was about to end the little cheerleader's life when a new face entered the scene.

"Buffy," Dawn said, "Why are you still up?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning at Sunnydale High, the team, minus Angel, was walking up the steps from the street toward the building.

Willow was still worried, "Angel's ex-girlfriend is a vampire?"

Buffy nodded, numbly "I can't believe this is happening. One minute we were kissing, and the next minute...she came..." She turned to Giles, "How could this have happened?"

"There is a lot of things that has happened in Angel`s lifetime." Giles cleared his throat, "He's been through a lot.... with the loss of... of his mother... not too mention the loss of a childhood, a normal, human childhood... its easy to see why he wouldn't want to tell you this."

"Well, then what was he doing?" Buffy asked, "Why was he hiding it all? Was it all too painful?"

They reached a bench where Willow and Buffy sit, "What am I gonna do?"

"Alright, uh..." Xander sat down on the other side of her, "...you have a problem, and it's not a small one. Let's take a breath and look at this calmly and objectively. Angel's got an ex-girlfriend vampire. You're a Slayer. Angel's... whatever he is. I think it's obvious what you have to do." Xander smiled. Buffy doesn't react, so Xander continued, "You dust Darla and then you stop seeing Angel and move on."

Giles crouched down in front of her, "Uh, it is a Slayer's duty..."

"To forget about Angel?" Buffy asked.

"No, to slay Darla." Giles said.

Xander shook his head, "Buffy.. its for your own good, dumping this guy. He's got a crazy ex on the loose here in Sunnydale, that's dangerous to you, being a Slayer. I mean, I-I know you have feelings for this guy, but it's not like you're in love with him, right?" Buffy looked away, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"You're in love with that vampire's ex-honey?! What, are you outta your mind?!"

"What?!" Startled, Xander looked at Cordelia. She's looking somewhere else, but turned to him. "Not vampire... How could you love an umpire`s ex honey?! Everyone hates 'em!"

Cordelia looked back at another girl wearing the same dress as she, "Where did you get that dress? This is a one-of- a-kind Todd Oldham. Do you know how much this dress cost? Is this a knockoff? This is a knockoff, isn't it?! Some cheesy knockoff! This is exactly what happens when you sign these free trade agreements!"

The two girls disappear into the building.

"You think we have problems..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel walked down the empty halls of Sunnydale high school. Everyone was i class at that moment, but Angel had gone home at lunch, unable to face Buffy back then... but Darla had been in his apartment. She had commented on how he had finally grown up. Leaving on his own, without Uncle Giles there to hold his hand.

She had rubbed in all his failures. Failure in saving his mother, failure in not saving her... failure for exposing Buffy to his past....

He knew, that on some parts, she was right. He had failed Darla and his mother back in London. He had let both of them die, and was unable to prevent Lothos from taking both of them away. It pained Angel, that, what he once thought was the love of his life... wasn't.

He and Darla had been close for three years... but somewhere along that line... he had realized that he didn't love her, and he wanted to tell her, but by then it was too late. Darla had been turned, and there was nothing more than he could do.

He moved toward the library and peered inside where he could see Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles at the table. Buffy looked a bit shaken and confused as she looked up at her Watcher. Taking a deep breathe, Angel turned away...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Giles... please, I know that Angel has a secret life... a life before he came to Sunnydale... but I need to know what happened.."

Giles sighed, looking at Buffy, "Buffy... for me to tell you what happened... I would have to have Angel’s permission. This is a deadly difficult situation that he is in. Its been hard enough on him, as it has been on me."

"What about Darla?" Buffy asked, "What’s with her?"

Giles sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his noise, "Darla was Angel’s girlfriend over the past few years... they did almost everything together." Giles sighed, "They even got matching tattoo’s. Both behind their right shoulder?"

"Yeah," Buffy said, remembering it, "it's a, it's a bird or something."

"Now I'm sayin' something." Xander said, looking at Buffy, "You saw him naked?"

"But Angel never really loved her. His mother and I could both see it in his eyes. It was almost as if he felt that he was required to have a girlfriend. He did it, I’m guessing, because he wanted to be normal.. for us.

"Not too long after their third year together, Lothos came from India, to London. Wanting to find a match in a Slayer, and to cause much havoc. When he finally found my sister... he wanted to get to her, through Angel. He did so, by starting with his girlfriend, Darla. Turning her. Then, Darla went after Angel, but he refused her offer of enternal life. Darla... was
always insecure about her relationship with Angel. Even as a vampire, she was worried about her place in his life. So, she lead Lothos to his mother, and he attacked. Killing her and nearly doing the same with me. But, Angel was lucky enough to drive Lothos away, as well as Darla... after that... Angel just was never the same..."

Buffy’s eyes watered, as she stood, Willow watching as her friend murmured, "I have to go." And ran out of the library.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Don't think I'm not grateful, you letting me kill the Three." Darla said.

"How can my children learn if I do everything for them?" The Master said, looking down at Collin.

"But you've gotta let me take care of the Slayer." Darla pleaded.

"Oh! You're giving me orders now!" The Master said in a deadly voice.

"Okay, then, we'll just do nothing while she takes us out one by one." Darla said, walking away.

"Do I sense a plan, Darla?" He started, "Share..." Darla walked back toward him, "Angel comes into the fold and kills her."

"Angel!" The Master said, "Yes, I remember. He was said to be as vicous as any vampire in battle... I miss that in humans."

"So do I." Darla grinned.

The Master considered this, "Why would he want to be turned if he feels for her?"

Darla laughed, "To keep her little sister from becoming another lamb to the slaughter."

"You see how we all work together for the common good?" The Master asked Colin, "That's how a family is supposed to function!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Reconstruction began when?" Willow asked, looking up from the book she held in the library, "Buffy?"

"Huh?" Buffy came back to earth, "Oh! Um, reconstruction... Uh, reconstruction began after the... construction, which was... shoddy, so they had to reconstruct."

Willow smiled, "After the destruction of the Civil War."

"Right. Civil War." Buffy said, "Civil War where Lothos was probably killing some other guy’s mom..."

"Are we gonna talk about boys, or are we gonna help you pass history?" Willow asked as Buffy looked up at her. She closed the book.

"Sometimes I have this fantasy that Xander's just gonna grab me and kiss me right on the lips." Willow said with a huge smile. "You want Xander, you've gotta speak up, girl!" Buffy persuaded. "No, no, no, no. No speaking up. That way leads to madness and sweaty palms." She said sheepishly.

Darla peeked out from behind the stacks.

Willow smiled impishly, "Okay, so here's something I gotta know. When Angel kissed you... I mean before the whole deal with Darla... how was it?"

Buffy slowly smiled, "Unbelievable!"

Darla’s nostrils flared in hatred as she continued to watch them.

"Wow!" Willow grinned, "And it is kinda novel how he’s sort of like the male version of you, although you’ll might end up dying after a freak car accident after giving birth two your seventh child, and... Oh, and what about the children?"

Buffy eyed her.

Willow swallowed her tongue, "I'll be quiet now."

Buffy sighed, "No, it's okay. I need to hear this. I need to get over him so I can..."

"So that you can..." Willow made a stabbing gesture with her troll pencil, "And move on?"

The Slayer nodded, "Like Xander said, I'm the Slayer, and he's... God, I can't! He's never done anything to hurt me... and this is strictly his thing... Okay, no, I need to stop thinking about this. Okay, let's give another half an hour and maybe something will sink in. And then I'm going home for some major moping."

Darla smiled, backing away into the darkness. She would have plenty of time to set up her plan.

********************

Angel glanced around Buffy’s neighborhood just before he started to climb the steps. He had taken a lot of thinking, and now, he was certain that he needed to tell Buffy everything if their relationship was going to work.

But once he reached the door... it was harder to bring his hand to knock on the door. He raised his hand one more time... then faultered, moving away from the door. He was almost on the sidewalk when he heard a painful scream.

He ran quickly to the back door, and kicked it open to see Darla gripping the neck of Buffy’s sister, Dawn. Buffy’s mother lay limp on the floor.

"Let her go!" Angel shouted.

"I just had a little, there's plenty more." Darla said, grinning as she gripped the terrified young girl. She smiled at Angel, "Aren't you hungry for something... everlasting after all this time? After all this time? Just say 'Yes'!" Before he could react, Darla had thrown Joyce’s limp body into him, and quickly dashed out of the house, a screaming Dawn moving with her.

Angel dragged Joyce’s body toward the phone before reaching up and calling an ambulence. He checked for Joyce’s pulse while he waited, and almost cursed when he felt it, yet to faint.

"Yes, I need an ambulance, 1630 Revello Drive!" He said, "A neighbor of mine cut herself, she lost a lot of blood! Please, please hurry!"

Buffy sighed as she, Willow, and Xander entered the kitchen, "Mom, I hope you don‘t mind but--oh my God! Mom!" Buffy shouted, rushing to her mother‘s side and gazing down at the wound on her neck.

"Oh, my God!" Xander said.

"What happened?!" Willow asked, kneeling next to an almost hysterical Buffy.

"Darla." Angel said in disgust, "I called an ambulence, they’ll be here soon."

"Thank God..." Buffy looked at her mother’s savior, "Where’s Dawn?"

********************

"Do you remember anything, Mom?" Buffy asked softly as she held her mother’s frail hand. She looked tired, but she was getting a transfusion at the moment, and some of her color in her cheeks were coming back. The bandage on her neck covering the mark of the vampire.

"Just, um, your friend came over... I was gonna make a snack..." Joyce started.

"My friend?" Buffy started.

"I guess I slipped and cut my neck on... The doctor said it looked like a barbecue fork." Joyce said, before turning to look at her daughter, "We don't have a barbecue fork." She glanced at the man who just came into the room, "Are you another doctor?"

"Oh!" Buffy stared, "Um... No, Mom, this is Mr. Giles."

"Oh, the librarian from your school!" Joyce blinked, "What's he doing here?"

"Uh, I-I just came to pay my respects, wish you a speedy recovery. After... my, uh, newphew informed me of your condition." Giles explained.

"Oh, Angel... yes.. he’s the one who found me?" Joyce asked.

Buffy nodded, "Yeah. Get some rest now." She leaned forward and planted a kiss on her mother’s cheek before leaving the room with Giles.

********************

"Mmm...." Dawn whimpered through the thick cloth of the scarf that... that... thing, had tied around her head. She couldn’t talk, and she couldn’t see. But she could hear movement around her.

She had been knocked out after trying to struggle with the thing, and when she woke up, she was sitting in a chair or something in the corner of a room.

Dawn could hear the faint sound of a soft light... that buzzing sounds that bright showy lights did outside of bars or salons...

Where could she be? Where was mom? Was she okay? Did something happen to her? Was she.. alive? Did Buffy know? Was she hurt, too? Did it matter? Was she hurt, but could she not feel it because the pain had caused her to go numb? Were their people around her, watching her? Or... or maybe more of those things? Did they want to hurt her as well? What could they have wanted with mom? Or.... or maybe it was her. Maybe they wanted her because of she did something wrong. Maybe she was being punished.

Did the neighbors hear her scream, or did they ignore her? Did they care at all? Did anyone care that she was alone, confined, and scared? Did anyone care? Really?

Dawn squirmed when she heard foot steps walk past her and then stop. She heard the faint sound of velcro being ripped, and then silence again. She listened quietly, and then shivered strongly at the sound of shrill laughter.

She gulped down the lump in her throat.

Listening.

Listening.

Listen--

Then, there was that sound. The sound of... of... no... that sound only were in movies. The sound of... of... bu... bu... bull... being... being.. being loaded into a g--

"Buffy!" Dawn screamed into the cloth, wiggling a bout, screaming for her sister, for her mother, for her father, for anyone to come and find her and save her.

********************

"Stay here with mom." Buffy said, moving away from the doorway, after Joyce had asked how Dawn was.

It was hard to lie to her mother about her baby sister... but necessary.

"Buffy... Buffy!" Giles grabbed her arm, "You... you can’t run off and attack Darla."

"Why not?" Buffy snapped.

"Because, this isn’t some ordianary vampire. She has worked with Lothos, and the Master. She knows things that you don’t. It will take more than just some ordianary stake to take her down."

"I know." She said, starting to move away again.

"Buffy!" Her Watcher shouted, "You can’t do this alone."

Buffy stopped, and turned around, facing her Watcher.

"She won’t." Angel said, as he walked into the hallway, and stood beside her.

Buffy looked up at him, "What are you doing here? I thought you were busy brooding over Darla."

"I learned my lesson. I’m not gonna have Darla run me out of my life..." He reached down and took her hand gently in his own, "Or my life."

Buffy gazed in his eyes for a breif moment, before looking at her Watcher, "Watch over mom." She said before she turned with Angel and started down the hallway.

Keeping her eyes ahead, she spoke softly, "Do you know where she is?"

Angel did the same, "She’ll probably be near the Bronze. It’s the only secluded area that she know’s I’m aware of."

"Angel, I have to do this." Buffy said, "I know she’s your ex-honey, but this is my family. And nobody messes with my family."

"Our family." Angel said, giving her hand a squeeze, "When we’re there, it’s done, it’s done. We can’t be sure who pulls the trigger."

"I have to go change." Buffy informed, "We also have to make a stop at the library."

"I already got it," Angel said, gesturing to his large leather duster.

She glanced at it, then up ahead, "I need a little practice."

"Well, you’ll be getting one, now, won’t you?"

********************

Buffy and Angel walked quietly around the Bronze area. They were just passing by the door when they heard the sound of glass breaking.

They shared a brief look, before Buffy moved toward the stairs that was up a few ways. Taking the crossbow, she threw it up and one of the sides caught on a top bar.

Taking a deep breath, she jumped up and started to climb up the ladder.

A moment later, Angel followed.

They crawled around the upturned windows, and paused briefly to peek inside. The faint glow of lights were on down there. Which meant that *someone* had to be there.

Crouching down, Angel pulled the lock on one of the windows apart, and pulled the window back. Buffy glanced toward the small walkway below, slung the crossbow over her shoulder, and jumped down as softly as she could. Angel did the same.

Both glanced around the room. Searching for any life in the room.

Buffy started to slowly walk down the steps, when something caught her eye.

The chair in the far back....

Her little sister, tied to the chair, gagged, blindfolded, whimpering, and tear stained, sitting in the chair in a chair.

"Dawn!" Buffy shouted, her crossbow forgottened as she rushed forward and touched her sisters arms, "Oh, God, Dawn! Are you all right?" She pulled the blindfold away, and stared at her sister.

She made little noises, just before Angel shouted, and was knocked away from the spot where Buffy had left the crossbow on the bottom of the stairs.

Buffy whirled around, and found the face of the vampire who had hurt her mother and taken her sister hostage.

She grinned, her vampire visage shining in the soft light, her hands clasped behind her as if she didn’t have a care in the world, "I see you’ve come. Do you know what the saddest thing in the world is?"

Buffy shrugged, glancing at Angel, before looking back up at the vampiress, "*That* hair on top of that outfit?"

"To love someone who used to love you." Darla answered snidely.

"You guys were in love?" Buffy started.

"For several years." Darla informed, smartly.

Buffy shrugged, "Well, you been around since, what, the early seventies? You are bound to pile up a few ex's. You're older than him, right? Just between us girls, you are looking a little worn around the eyes."

Darla smiled, "I made him who he is. There was a time when we shared everything, wasn't there Angelus? You had a chance to come home, to rule with me in the Master's court for a thousand years, but you threw that away because of her. You love someone who hates us. You're sick. And you'll always be sick. And you'll always remember what it was like to watch her die. You don't think I came alone, do you?

"I know I didn't." Buffy said, jumping forward and kicking the bow up to her hands. Quickly, she aimed the bolt at Darla.

"Hmm, scary." She pulled her hands in front, producing two pistols from behind her back, one in each hand, "Scarier." She whirled and shot Angel. He staggered back onto a post.

Buffy glanced at him in worry.

"Oh, don't worry." Darla started, "That bullet won’t kill him... once I turn him into a vampire. But it can hurt them like hell, but..." She giggled.

Buffy retreated, rolling over the pool table and taking cover behind it just as Darla started shooting at her. Dawn’s blue eyes widened in distress.

********************

"Did you just hear..." Xander started, before they ran towards the door, trying to break it open, but failing.

********************

Buffy reloaded the crossbow while glancing at Angel’s pained form.

"So many body parts, so few bullets." Darla mused, "Let's begin with the kneecaps. No fun dancing without them." She capped off a few more rounds, the pool table taking a few hits.

Buffy popped up with the crossbow and shot at Darla. She doubled over when it hit her. Buffy waited, watching, then cursed herself as she straightened back up again.

The arrow sitcking out of her abdomen.

"Close, but no heart." Darla grabbed the bolt, pulled it out, tossing it aside.

"We need to distract her, fast!" Xander shouted as he covered Willow at the top of the walkway.

Willow started, "Buffy, don’t listen to her! She’s just trying to distract you!"

Darla growled, turning and firing a barrel of bullets at them.

Angel moaned, using the bolt from the wall that Buffy had shot earlier to stand back up.

Sighing, Darla jumped up onto the pool table and began to walk forward. Inhaling sharply, Buffy jumped up, grabbed the edge of the table and pulled, knocking Darla onto her back. With a grunt, she pushed the table away and ran for cover.

Darla fired off a few rounds as she rode the table across the floor, but missed Buffy, who leaped for cover over a glass case in a dive roll as bullets broke it all around her.

The pool table stopped, and Darla hopped off of it and advanced on the counter while shooting.

Giles got up and pounded against the lighting system controls, causing the strobes to come on.

Darla looked up at him and stopped shooting, giving Buffy the opportunity to change position.

The Vampiress caught her move and let loose another volley.

She smiled evily, "C'mon, Buffy. Take it like a man!" Then she gasped loudly at the feel of something breaking the skin of her back, past the muscles, and into her heart.

Slowly, she turned to eye her attacker....

"Angel?" She gasped, before falling to the floor in a burst of ashes.

Buffy rose up to her feet and caught Angel’s eyes. Her own were filled with tears of fright as she watched him look at her with pained eyes. He inahled sharply, before he started to move toward Dawn...

Then collapsed.

"Angel!" Buffy shouted.

Angel turned onto his back as Buffy fell to his side and pulled his head into her lap. She glanced at his injuried shoulder. The bullet wound going through the leather duster, blood pooling around and out of the tattered material.

"Oh... God, Angel..." Buffy started, smoothing his hair away from his forehead.

He winced, placing his hand over his injury, "Go... to your sister... she needs you..."

"You need me..." Buffy protested.

He winced again, "Not as much as she does right now..."

Buffy glanced at her sister, a look of shock and bewilderment on her face. Buffy spotted Giles rushing down the stairs, and gently placed Angel’s head onto the floor, before moving to her sister. She quickly tore the scarf from her mouth, and undid the robes.

Dawn glanced at Angel, then at her sister, before hurling herself into her arms and crying as loudly as she could.

********************

"And.. and that’s that." Buffy said, sitting back down onto her sisters bed.

She had told her everything. She had told her about her being the Slayer, about how she had been doing it since she was fiffteen...

Dawn looked up at her sister as she looked down at her.

"I don’t understand all of it." Dawn said, fiddling with the blanket that was wrapped around her shoulders. Her sister was gonna go out and... and kill vampires again.

"I know... its hard to understand at first..." Buffy sighed.

Dawn shifted under the sheets, "But... but I’ll keep it a secret from mom. It... it can be our... our little secret."

Buffy smiled, "Our little secret..." She leaned down and kissed her forehead, before standing and walking towards the door. She turned off the light, and started to go when Dawn called out, "‘Night freak."

"‘Night weirdo..." Buffy said before closing the door behind her.

Dawn relaxed into her bed, and closed her eyes.

She dreamt of monsters that night. Monsters that she hadn’t seen since she was five... but this time, she didn’t run in terror.

Because her sister was there....

To fight them....

********************

"Ah, the post-fumigation party." Xander mused as he and his two girls entered the Bronze two days later.

Buffy frowned, "Okay, so what's the difference between this and the pre-fumigation party?"

"Much hardier cockroaches." Xander said.

"So, no word from Angel?" Willow asked.

Buffy frowned, "Nah. After... after he got shot... he explained everything to me after they pulled the bullet out and wrapped it. He said that he was never really in love with Darla... that Darla was more of a distration... and that he didn’t only lose his girlfriend, but his mother, and his friends..." She turned to the two, "I went to the hospital earlier today, but he wasn’t there." She sighed, "It's weird, though. In his way I feel like he's still watching me."

Willow smiled, knowingly, "Well, in a way he sort of is. In the way of that he's right over there." She gestured to the far back, where Angel was standing in the dark.

Buffy smiled at the others, before moving toward him.

"I don't need to watch because I'm not threatened. Just gonna look this way." Xander declared as he and Willow moved to sit at a table, with him dimenstrating his will power by looking the other way, while Willow watched as her friend moved toward the tall, dark, and mysterious man.

~Did they know what they wanted....
The times they kissed me?
And your hands....
I held in mine...~

Buffy sighed as she stopped in front of Angel, who looked just as tense as she, "I just wanted to see if you were okay. Dawn, and your mother."

"We're both good. You?" Buffy started, remembering his injury and wondering why he wasn’t in a hospital room.

"If I can go a little while without getting shot or turned I'll be alright." He chuckled, making Buffy smiled, but he grew somber quickly, "Look, this can't..."

"...ever be anything. I know." Buffy started, "For one thing, you've, got, like, all these things that you still need to work out... and you need to..."

Angel nodded, "I just gotta... gotta walk away from this."

Buffy nodded, "I know. Me, too."

They stood together, and Buffy whispered softly, "One of us has to go here."

Angel inhaled, whispering, "I know."

They gazed at one another, before Angel leaned his head forward...

~Your eyes....~

Buffy closed her eyes as Angel kissed her. Sweet and gentle and unsure...

~That always make me shiver~

Then, more passionately, and she wrapped her arm around his neck to get herself closer.

~Now they are closed...
They just sometimes twitch... a little...~

"What's going on?" Xander asked, his voice laced with annoyance.

Willow smiled, "Nothin'..."

Xander chuckled, "Well, as long as they're not kissing."

Willow smiled secretly as she continued to watch the two.

~And your body...
I could hold for an hour...
It sent me to Heaven...
With its heat and power...~

Slowly, Buffy pulled away, and glanced at him, "You okay?"

Angel winced, not daring to tell her that she had pressed against the healing wound, and had caused her a little pain, "It's just..."

"...painful. I know." She inhaled, "See you around?" She watched his eyes carefully, before walking backwards.

~I'll remember you.
You will be there in my heart...
I'll remember you.~

Buffy smiled sadly before turning away...

~And that is all that I can do....~

Angel sighed, tightening his fist...

The fist that held the ring on his finger... the Claddagh ring he had gotten from his grandmother...

The Claddagh ring, which crown... and hands...

And heart...

Pointed towards him...

~But I'll remember....~

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