Disclaimer: As usual the characters belong to Joss not me.
This takes place after "To Everything.There Is a Season" Angel and Buffy had their heart to heart talk. They still have a lot of baggage to get over but they are willing to make things work again. Now they just have to convince their friends.
This story is in Angel and Buffy's POV. Angel's thoughts are in *italics.
Dedicated to all those who gave me wonderful feed back. Thanks Alyssa, Sara, Erinne and Ryan for the idea.

The sun is just peaking through some clouds and casting a weak sunbeam through the cracks of the heavy velvet curtains. The two lovers are sleeping peacefully on the couch where they drifted off to sleep in the wee hours of the morning.

I slowly open my eyes and rub them with my free hand. My other had is pinned by a heavy object. My vision gets clearer and I look into the face of an angel, my Angel. So I wasn't dreaming last night. It really happened, he came back into my life to stay and I welcomed him. I just wanted to stare at his face for the rest of my life but my hand that was pinned between Angel and the couch was numb. I guess we fell asleep in each other's arms while we were talking the night before. I slowly caress his face and he slowly smiles and playfully bites my finger.

"Good morning sleepy head" I whisper into his ear.

"Morning Buffy. I wish I could always wake up like this. I would be in heaven," Angel sleepily answers.

"I gotta go. I badly want to stay but I already stayed too long."

"Why don't you tidy yourself up first so that people don't think the worst."

"Good idea.Angel can you stay out of sight until I figure a way to break the news of your return. I need to speak to Riley as well. I don't know how to tell him without hurting him. It might take some time."

"I have to admit I don't like the idea of you being with him but I do understand."

"I'll try to come back tonight."

"Till then"

*

I'm actually humming. I never hum. I'm walking home and I'm on cloud nine. I can't help it but I have the goofiest grin on my face. I better calm down before I spill the beans to the gang before I tell Riley. I hate that I have to tell him about Angel but I think he has always known that he's not my love of my life. I do love him, that's why I was with him, but I am not in love with him. I never said the word `I love you' no matter how much he said them to me. I feel so guilty but I think at the time I needed him. I was alone and after the Parker fiasco, I needed an anchor. I'm not a needy person but I just wanted something normal for a while, something to keep grounded. I don't want Riley to think I used him but in reality I did. Man, I don't want to feel so happy but I still can't believe it, Angel's back in my life.

"Mom, I'm home"

"You were out pretty late. Riley has been phoning here non-stop, he seems worried about you? Is there anything you should be telling me?"

"No.mom everything is fine. What did he say?"

"Nothing, just something in his voice."

"I'll call him but first I need to take a shower and change my clothes."

Knock Knock

"Angel I know you are in there!" Riley yelling and pounding on the door and there was no answer.

Riley placed his hand on the doorknob and found that it was open.

"Go figure, vamps don't use locks"

He slowly walks inside and it's dim, he takes a stake from under his jacket, ready to strike.

"Hey Finn, hasn't anyone taught you any manners. You are supposed to be invited before you go into someone's house."

Angel walks out of the shadows and moves right behind Riley without making a noise.

Riley jumped out of fright "Man.you you scared me. Are all vamps so sneaky."

"You better train some more. If this is how you military men do reconnaissance you are fresh bait."

*What was Buffy thinking when she replaced me with him? Yes I wanted her to have a chance with a normal life, but with this bumbling idiot? He was in her bed and he was apart of her life. Did he make her smile, laugh, and cry out with ecstasy? I can't blame her, she did what I told her to do, go on with her life. *

"I don't need your advice Angel. Is Buffy here?"

"No"

"Don't lie to me she didn't come home last night."

"She is not here. You can take a look if you want to but she just left.to freshen up."

"Why are you back here? Buffy doesn't need you. WE do not need you here."

"I had to come and boy I'm here to stay."

"Like hell you are. I bet Buf was the first person to tell you to leave."

"Actually she agreed that I should stay."

"What! She is leaving me.isn't she? I can give her everything. I can hold her in my warm arms and together we can express the true meaning of love."

"Think about it. Has she actually said the words to you?"

"No, no okay are you happy."

*Oh yes I am. She never said the words `I love you' to him. She saved those words for me. Only me and I'll never let her go again. She is my sunlight who will show me the way out of the dark and to true happiness*

"She has said the words to me."

"Angel what do you have to offer her? You guys can't even be together because of the clause. You can't do that to her. Hell you are not even human."

"She knows all this but she still wants to be with me. Our love has surpassed that existence, we are two of a whole, and we are soul mates."

"No! I can't let you. I won't let you!" Riley maddened with rage, strikes Angel with the stake that he has clenched in his hand.

Angel surprised by the attack would have gotten seriously hurt if it wasn't for his vampire reflexes. The stake just glazed his arm and a small gash is slowly weeping out blood. No matter how badly Angel wants to fight, he doesn't make a move. Riley is fuelled by anger and hurt by the news that Buffy's going to leave him. He is taking that rage out on Angel and is relentless. Angel is not counter attacking but just trying to stay clear of Riley's wrath. It happened so fast that even to Angel it wasn't clear what had happen. For some reason Riley got impaled by the very stake he was using against Angel.

"Riley, don't move, you are making the wound worse. Just stay still I'll call for help."

"In a way.this is poetic justice. I won't be able to be with her but neither will you. Do you think that she will believe that you didn't mean to kill me? She will blame you.and in the end I win." With his dying breath Riley curses Angel to hell.

"Nooo!"

* Buffy will not believe me. Our bond's still fragile. We still have a long road to forgiveness. She will not understand. She will blame me. How can this happen? I didn't even lay a finger on him I just tried to avoid his attacks so he wouldn't kill me. I just found you again beloved I just can't lose you. Buffy has to trust me and believe the events that I tell her about. That I never meant to hurt him, that he came after me. How could he die? Buffy has to believe me or it might as well be me on that floor.dead *

-Ring-Ring

"Buffy it's for you. It's Angel?"

I run to the phone, in my robe, because I just came out of the shower.

"Angel if this is what you call staying low."

I didn't even get to finish that thought. I just hear the panic on the other end.

"What's wrong Angel you sound strange?"

Silence follows.Dead silence.

"Buffy.do you trust me?"

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