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DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters from BTVS or A:TS, or the 'Buffy' movie either for that matter. Anyone else is mine. DISTRIBUTION: My site; http://www.geocities.com/whatsupsis/TogetherForever.html Anyone else, sure! Just e-mail me a link.
RATING: PG-13? I don't know yet, ask me later.
SUMMERY: AU; Buffy was never found by the Watcher's Council, someone else trains her ;-).
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Alrighty then, here's the deal, this story is AU. Buffy lives in LA with her parents (who are not divorced). Angel also lives in LA, he never did the bum routine in New York. The previous slayer has been killed, so Buffy has been called, but the Watcher's Council has yet to find her, so she doesn't have a clue about anything.

Part 1

Angel moved quickly along the dark Los Angeles street. It was more crowded that he was used to, but because of his dark clothing and stealth like movement he went largely unnoticed by his fellow pedestrians. This suited him fine, he didn't like to be around a lot of people. It only served to point out his differences and show him the things that he wanted most, but knew he would never obtain.

He sighed and asked himself once again what he was doing out this early. He normally held off his nightly patrols until the early morning hours, but tonight he felt restless. Something in the air was telling him to keep his guard up, that something big was going to happen this night.

Realizing that he had been walking for the better part of an hour, without destination, Angel stopped to get his bearings. Looking around, he saw that he was standing in front of a movie theater. Judging by the exterior and the patrons that were milling around, it was one of the 'classier' theaters in LA. A glance at the sigh proved him correct. 'The Paramount' was the newest movie theater to open, which explained the large crowd. Having a vague idea of where he was, Angel continued on his journey until a familiar tingle made it's way up his spine.

A slayer.

Feeling her approach from behind him, Angel stepped deep into the shadows in an attempt to hide his presence from her. Once he was well hidden, he began searching the streets for her. All he saw was a group of teenagers coming in his direction, all around 15 or 16 years old, four girls and three guys.

Quickly dismissing them, Angel continued to search the darkness for the danger that he felt coming closer and closer to him. Even with his enhanced night vision, he could see no one else nearby. Surprised, he came to the realization that she had to be one of the teenagers, who were now directly in front of him.

Once they had passed him by without incident, Angel stepped out of the shadows and began to trail behind the group, trying to pin point which girl was the slayer. Keeping to the shadows he began to edge closer to them. As he neared, he began to pick up bits of the conversation.

"I thought the movie was, like, way over-rated, you know," a red haired girl said to the others.

"Oh, come on, it was great!" one of the guys replied.

The same girl turned to face him, "Please! Tyler you only liked all of the action scenes and half naked women, isn't that right Buffy? Buffy?"

At the sound of her name, the small blond girl jumped and looked at her friends questioning faces, "Sorry, what was the question?"

"What's your deal? Are you sleepwalking?"

"No, I just...Do you ever have the feeling someone's following you?" she asked looking over her shoulder.

Angel jumped out of her line of sight, but he was still close enough to hear. It looked like he had found the slayer, but she wasn't trained very well. 'Must have just been called recently,' he thought.

"Paranoid, much?" the same girl asked.

The slayer, Buffy, laughed, "I'm sorry. It must have been the movie. I guess it made me nervous."

"Don't worry, honey, I'll protect you," Tyler said, placing his arm around her waist and pulling her close to his side.

They continued to chat amongst themselves as they walked, with Angel following behind them. He wasn't sure why he was following this girl. Any vampire with half a brain knew that when you see a slayer, if at all possible, you go in the opposite direction. There was something, however, that wouldn't let him walk away this time. He just didn't know what.

The group of teens entered on of LA's many parks, and all sat around a large picnic table. Angel was about to give up and continue his patrol, when he felt several of his kind nearby. A quick look around revealed that there were four vampires closing in on the unsuspecting teens.

'Why doesn't she sense them?' Angel thought as he edge closer to the vampire nearest him. He didn't make it there in time, however, as all four jumped out, startling the teens.

"What do you want?" one of the boys asked, as he and his friends huddled close together.

"You," the leader of the vampires answered.

All at one, the three boys threw themselves and the smallest of the vampires. He was knocked down, giving the teens a moment to make their get away. Seeing them make a run for it, Angel decided to wait until they were far enough away, then he would be able to dispatch the vampires with little trouble. However, the fallen vampire regained his senses in time to grab the last person that ran past him. Buffy. Not noticing that she had been caught, her friends continued to run.

Buffy struggled against the vampire that was holding her captive, but it was to no avail. Although she was stronger than he had been expecting, he was still able to keep her subdued. It was obvious that she was petrified and had absolutely no idea what to do.

Seeing this, Angel knew he had no choice but to reveal himself. Saying a quick word of thanks that all of the vamps were fledglings, he quickly jumped from his hiding place and charged the group.

Catching them by surprise, he was able to knock the first two down before they had a chance to react. spinning around, he quickly ducked a punch thrown by the third and threw one of his own, knocking the vamp to the ground, where his buddies were still trying to untangle themselves. Exchanging looks with his three friends, the remaining vamp, pushed Buffy towards Angel and took off running, with his friends not far behind.

Catching her in his arms before she could tumble to the ground, Angel asked, "Are you all right?"

She didn't answer him, instead she flung her arms around his neck and began to sob. Somewhere in her incoherent babbling, he understood that she was saying, "Thank you," over and over. Not knowing what else to do, he gently placed his arms around her and tried to calm her down.

Once her crying had subsided, he gently moved her away from him and took a step back, to where he could get a good look at her. Once he could finally see her, he was stunned. If he had thought she was beautiful from a distance, she was a goddess up close. Her golden hair framed a perfect face, with emerald green eyes, and full, beautiful lips. As he stared at her, Angel quickly realized that he could easily fall in love with this girl.

His thoughts were interrupted when she asked, "Who are you?"

Catching himself, he stepped even further away from her,"Just a friend," he replied. "I was walking past and heard them. Are you ok?"

"Yeah, just scared," she nodded. "Who were those guys? They just came out of nowhere. Did you see their faces? There was something was wrong with them."

"You don't know?" he asked skeptically, bringing a halt to her babbling.

"Why should I?" she asked sounding confused.

"They were vampires," he replied and awaited her response. He was starting to believe that she honestly had no idea about her calling. He didn't have a clue as to what he was going to do if that turned out to be the truth.

"Vampires?" she repeated. Slowly she began to walk backwards, moving further away from him, "Ok, then. It was nice meeting you. Thanks for saving me. I've got to go."

"Why aren't you trained?" Angel asked, more to himself than to her.

At his question, she stopped, "Trained?"

"Yes, trained. A slayer is trained by her watcher," at her confused look he continued, "to fight the vampires."

"Ok, say for one second I believe you, which I don't, I don't know what a Watcher or a Slayer is, but I certainly am not either one. So, that being the case, why would I be trained to do anything, much less *fight vampires.*"

'Stupid Watcher's. What did they do? Lose her?' Angel asked himself, running a hand though his hair while he tried to think. How do you convince someone that they are the one person in the world capable of fighting the forces of darkness. Most of which, they have believed to be a myth for their entire life.

Before he could choose, the decision was made for him when one of the vamps he had scared off returned. It was rushing straight for Buffy when he spotted it. He quickly whipped out a stake that he had hidden in his coat and tossed it to her. Before she had time to think, the vamp was upon her. Moving strictly on instinct, she turned and buried the stake deep in his chest. As he turned to dust, the implications of what had just transpired occurred to her and she began to panic.

"Oh my God. He was gonna...You threw...I just...That was a...," finally she paused, and bent over, placing her hands on her knees, "I'm going to be sick."

Slowly, Angel approached her, "Take a deep breath."

Listening to his suggestion, she began to breath deeply and soon she had calmed down slightly.

"What's your name?" Angel asked, although he already knew. He had to find some way to keep her calm while he decided what to do.

"Buffy. You?"

"Angel."

Seeming to come to a decision, she replied "Nice to meet you."

Angel smirked at her ability to just accept things and asked, "Do you believe me now?"

"Do I have a choice," she asked sarcastically. At Angel's serious look she replied, "About the vampires, yes. I don't know about the rest. What exactly is a vampire slayer?"

Angel sighed. He couldn't believe that he was doing this. The Watchers must be stupider than even he had thought they were. "How do you go about *losing* a slayer?" he mumbled to himself before continuing in a normal voice, " In every generation, there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness. She is the slayer. *You* are the slayer."

As she tried to digest this new information, Buffy asked, "How do you know so much about this. How can you possibly know that I am the slayer? I mean, couldn't you be mistaken?"

"I'm not exactly what I seem, either. Trust me, you are the slayer," Angel replied mysteriously.

Seeing that he wasn't going to say more, she sighed, "So what do I do now?"

"Don't tell anyone about this. Besides that, just lie low until someone from the Watcher's Council finds you. Until then, stay inside at night or make sure that your friends are with you. Don't let yourself get caught in a deserted place like this again."

"What do I do if I can't avoid something? What if something happens before they find me."

"Do what I say and nothing will happen," he stated briskly, but at her scared and pleading look he continued. "Do you know how to get to the club 'Blaze'?"

"Yes"

"I have an apartment in the basement, of you get in trouble, go there. If I'm not home, just wait there for me."

"Ok, are you going to tell me how you know all this?" she asked, although the way she said it, it was more of a demand than a question.

Just as he was about to answer, he heard voices. It was her friends returning, they must have finally realized that she wasn't with them. Angel looked in that direction, causing Buffy to also look just as Tyler rushed to her side.

"Buffy! Are you ok? We didn't know you weren't with us! Did they hurt you?" he asked as he frantically searched her for injury.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Angel, here, scared...." she trailed off when she realized he was gone.

"Who?" Tyler asked, also looking around.

"Oh, no one I guess. Just this guy, he scared them off," she replied, remembering Angels warning to not say anything.

"Ok," Tyler smiled, "Since there was no harm done, what do you want to do now?"

"You know," Buffy said, "Those guys really scared me. Could you just walk me home, please?"

"Sure," he replied.

He placed his arm around her waist and they began to walk toward her house, neither of them noticing that they were being followed.

~*~*~*~

Buffy entered her house quietly. She wasn't late, for once, but she didn't feel like dealing with her parents tonight. She had enough to worry about, without them getting on her case about something.

Once she had made her way upstairs and closed the door to her room quietly, she heaved a sigh of relief. She walked across her room and flopped down on her bed, not bothering to change clothes. The night's events were replaying in her mind. It was all just so hard to believe.

Vampires were real? And she was the *one* person in the world that could stop them. How was this possible? If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed it.

While she kept telling herself that, deep down she knew it wasn't true. Somewhere deep inside, she had believed everything that Angel told her immediately. She didn't know why, but something in her told her that he was speaking the truth.

Who was Angel anyway? Just this mystery guy, who appeared out of nowhere. He just delivered this message that was going to end her life as she knew it and then he walked away. They was definitely more to him than he was admitting.

Oh, and also, he was WAY cute, but she really didn't have time to focus on that now. She would do that later.

Right now, she just couldn't handle this, any of it. Feeling everything caving in on her, Buffy began to do something she rarely ever did.

She began to cry.

~*~*~*~

Angel watched from outside her bedroom window. He desperately wanted to comfort her and tell her that everything would be fine, but he knew that he would be a lying. From this night on, her life would never be the same.

Everything in him was telling him that he should really do something to help her. Maybe he should try and contact the Watcher's Council, although he was still questioning their intelligence.

No, he couldn't take that risk. He couldn't take the chance that they would discover his presence. He would never be able to convince them or make them accept the fact that, Angelus, the 'Scourge of Europe' was now playing for the home team. Gypsy curse, or not, to them he was still a vampire, and a damn dangerous one at that.

He had already taken too big of a risk, by telling her his name. When her Watcher finally found her, he would surely piece it together. However, even knowing this, he couldn't lie to her when she had asked his name. For some reason, he couldn't stand the thought that she wouldn't have had anything to remember him by.

Whatever the reason, he knew he had gone to far when he told her where he lived. When her watcher figured out who he was, they would surely come for him. Part of him screamed, 'Buffy wouldn't do that!', but the rest of him knew the truth. He was nothing to her, just another vampire.

Sighing, Angel placed his head in his hands. When that time came, he would just move on. He had been doing it for over two hundred years. This time was no different.

Looking through the window one last time, Angel came to a decision. He just had to put this night out of his mind, put Buffy out of his mind. He just had to forget all about her and continue with his life. With his mind made up, he jumped down from his perch and began to make his way home.

All the while knowing, that he was kidding himself if he thought that he would be able to forget about her. Part 2

Breathing a sigh of relief, Angel leaned against the door and stared into the darkness of his apartment. It was just a few minutes before dawn and he had just returned from his nightly patrol. Taking off his jacket, shirt and shoes as he went, Angel crossed his loft-style apartment to his bed and and climbed into it.

He was exhausted.

Once he was lying comfortably under the covers, he began to think about his slipup. He couldn't believe that he had cut it that close. The last time he had been so careless as to lose track of the time had been over a hundred years ago. While patrolling, he had been certain that there was plenty of time to make one last sweep before sunrise.

Of course, his *new* nightly ritual was beginning to cut into his patrol time.

Despite his decision to stay away from Buffy, he had found that it was impossible to follow through with it. Since their first meeting two months ago, he had been keeping an eye on her. The Watcher's Council still hadn't found her and he was beginning to wonder if they ever would. Shaking his head to rid himself of all thoughts of those inept idiots, Angel focused his thoughts back on Buffy.

On the outside, she didn't seem to have been effected by her experience or the knowledge of her destiny. Everything about her outward appearance showed the same teenage girl that had always been there. She did her hair the same, dressed the same, even smiled the same way as she always had. She continued to go out with her friends, to the mall or the movies, where they would chatter, gossip, and laugh just as they always had. All in all, she seemed to be the exact same person she had been two months ago. No one noticed any differences in her. They saw the same old Buffy. She had them all fooled.

All, except Angel.

Since becoming a vampire, a predator, Angel had learned how to read people and what he saw when he looked at Buffy was a distinctly different person than the girl he had first met. While she still seemed carefree and peaceful, in reality, she was quite the opposite. No matter where she was, who she was with, or what she was doing, she was always aware of her surroundings and of who was around her. She was always on guard for anything that could cause her friends or herself harm.

Occasionally it seem to Angel, that she even noticed of his presence, but he mostly shook that off as paranoia, since she had never made a move to confront him about it.

Angel was very proud that she was taking her calling so seriously and being so careful. But at the same time, he hated to see her lose the innocence of her childhood. As soon as he had begun talking to her, Angel had come to the conclusion that he liked Buffy. Therefore, it was killing him to see the girl he first met disappear.

Despite all of his intentions to remain distant from her, he had quickly become very protective of her and that was something that he really couldn't afford. Protectiveness usually led to other things like obsession, and as already proven, carelessness. He could have very easily crispy fried himself earlier. Another thing he had to worry about was the Watcher's Council. He would have to leave when they got into town, before they learned of his presence. There was no way that they would allow him, Angelus, to live in peace, or for that matter, to live at all.

Any way he looked at it, this just wasn't a healthy preoccupation for him.

Running a hand through his hair in frustration, Angel closed his eyes, determined to go to sleep. Not that sleep guaranteed his freedom from thoughts of the tiny blond, for she had started to invade his dreams as well, but he decided it was worth a shot. Maybe the dreams would give him a break.

Not that the dreams were all that bad, they just tended to make his sleep...non-restful.

The new dreams were actually a welcome change from the ones that had plagued him for years. Nights that were once filled with darkness and horrors were slowly fading away and being replaced by the feeling of sunshine and happiness.

He saw himself there with her, in her life, as a friend. A true friend. In these dreams, she knew all of his secrets, all of the horrors, and everything that he had done. Yet, she still felt he was worthy of her time and allowed him to be a part of her world.

Those were the dreams he savored. All of the years that had passed since he was cursed, had been spent alone. All of the pain was his alone, there was no one there for him. His vampire family had abandoned him upon discovering his state of 'soulfulness'. Over the years, he had never managed to find anyone to become close to. Truthfully, he rarely spoke to anyone at all. Eventually he had become accustom to being alone, yet he never truly overcame his loneliness. He longed for a person to see through everything and accept him.

In his dreams, he could see that person as Buffy.

Angel heaved one final sigh and finally began to drift off. Just as the visions of the emerald eyed blond began dancing in his head, there was a knock on his door.

Startled into a fully awakened state, he groaned and looked at the clock. It was 8 o'clock. He had spent the last two hours trying to get to sleep and now this. Wondering who it could possibly be, Angel got up to answer the door. As the door opened, he found himself in total shock.

"Buffy."

"Hi," she said timidly, "Can I come in?"

"Sure," Angel replied as he stepped back and motioned for her to enter. After closing the door behind her, he picked up his previously discarded shirt and put it back on. Looking up, he saw Buffy nervously moving around his apartment, checking things out.

Sensing that she needed a few minutes to gather the courage for whatever it was that she came here to do, Angel remained quiet and took in her appearance. She was wearing a short, pale blue sun dress and sandals, with her hair pulled up into a ponytail. Not for the first time, Angel noticed and appreciated her beauty.

Finally drawing his thought back to the present, Angel asked, "What's up?"

Spinning around, as if startled, she quickly replied, "I need your help."

"With what?" Angel asked quietly, trying to calm her uneasiness.

"They, those watcher people, still haven't come. You said they would find me," she said.

"They'll come," Angel replied.

Seeing that he wasn't going to say more, Buffy sighed and flopped down in a nearby chair, "I can't do this."

"When they find you, they will train you on how to fight. You'll be able to handle the vampires fine," he said.

"No, not that, I mean all this waiting and hiding," she said. "You said I had the power to fight the vampires. I need to be out there, you can teach me."

"Me?" Angel asked, truly shocked. "I can't do that."

"Yes, you can," Buffy demanded. "I saw you fight them, I know you can teach me. I can't just sit around like this." Taking a deep breath, Buffy paused to gather her thoughts before she tried to explain, "Since I met you that night and found out what creatures are truly out there, I can't get away from it. Every time I look at the paper or watch the news, I see what has happened and I wonder how much of it I could have stopped. How much of it I *should* have been there to stop. It's killing me, Angel."

By the time she finished, Buffy was pacing around the apartment. Angel felt saddened as he listened to her heart felt confession. He knew that what she was saying was the truth, he had seen it in her actions in the past months, but there was nothing he could do without becoming too involved with her. Technically, he was already too involved.

"I can't help you, I'm sorry," he said so quietly that she almost didn't hear him at all.

"Fine," she replied as she moved towards the door, "I'll do it by myself."

Quickly, Angel moved between her and the door, "I can't let you do that."

Finally becoming angry, Buffy moved closer to him until they were only centimeters apart. "It seems that you can't do a lot of things. What can you do, Angel?" she demanded.

Angel slowly moved away from her, then turned and walked across the room. He sat down on the edge of his bed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. Finally he glanced up at her, but then looked back at the floor as he began to speak, "I really wish I could help you. I understand how you feel, really I do, but I will only cause you trouble. The more we see each other, the more problems it will bring to both of us. It would never be accepted, because," he paused momentarily, but then continued before he had time to change his mind, "because I'm a vampire, Buffy. I *am* one of the things that you will be hunting."

Angel kept his eyes on the floor. He didn't want to see the disgust and fear in her eyes.

To his surprise, she simply replied, "I know that."

As the room began to swim, Angel had the fleeting thought that he was glad to be sitting down. Finally he managed to choke out, "What?"

"I know," Buffy repeated. "I can feel them, and you, but you don't feel like the rest of them."

"What?" he asked uncomprehendingly.

Sighing at his confusion, Buffy started again. "When I'm out at night, I can feel the vampires. It's just this feeling, I've felt it since that first night. When it happens, if I concentrate hard enough, I can find them. It's like there is something inside that is screaming to me, telling me that I am in danger. They all do it...except you. When I am around you, I have the thing that tells me what you are, but there is no danger."

"You haven't been around me enough to know that," Angel said.

"You follow me when I'm out at night," she stated plainly, then continued when he gave her a guilty look, "I feel you then."

"I'm just trying to make sure that you are all right," he mumbled.

For the first time since entering his apartment, Buffy smiled, "I know, I never really feel comfortable until I know that you are there. It makes me feel safe."

When Angel looked away from her, Buffy realized that he was embarrassed. Trying to hide he smile, she decided to change the subject, "Why don't you feel like the others? Why are you different?"

"That is a long story," he replied.

Buffy smiled once again, reclaimed her chair, and said, "I can miss a few classes."

Taking a steadying, abiet unnecessary, breath, Angel began his tale. He told her everything about him, from the night that he was changed up until the present. He watched her closely throughout the story. He saw her shock features as he told of the deeds of Angelus and also her tears as he told her of the years following the curse. Once he started talking, he just couldn't seem to stop. He wanted her to know everything there was to know, no secrets. Through it all, he never saw the on emotion he feared most--disgust. Nor did he see fear or worry, only compassion and understanding shone from her eyes.

When he was finished, Buffy sat silent for a few minutes. Finally she looked at him and said, "That's a rough gig."

Though he was surprised, Angel found himself chuckling at her statement, "Yeah, I guess it is."

"But it wasn't you, right?" she asked, then continued before he could answer. "I mean, I can see that you feel guilty, but from what you said, the demon takes complete control of the body and the soul isn't even there. So none of the bad stuff was your fault, because you weren't even there. How were you supposed to stop it?"

At he statement, Angel found himself in turmoil. His emotions were still raw from the pain of reliving the past, but her matter-of-fact comments, left him feeling the slightest glimmer of hope. Maybe it was possible that she could accept him. Looking away from her again, he replied, "It's hard for me to see it that way sometimes."

"Well, that's how I see it," Buffy stated plainly, leaving no room for doubt.

Hearing her words, Angel finally met her eyes, and was happy to see her smiling. He was even more shocked to feel himself smiling at her in return.

Slowly, Buffy approached him, "So, now that there are no more 'secrets', will you help me?"

Finally coming to a decision, he answered, "I'll do what I can to help you until they show up."

A full blown smile crossed her face at his declaration, "Thank you."

Angel nodded at her, bet remained silent.

"So, when do we start?" Buffy asked excitedly.

"Well, first, I need to find a place to train you. Most of the things you will need to know will be learned out there," he said, while making a sweeping gesture with his hand to include that world at large. "However, you will need a place to learn the basic fighting techniques and to practice."

Giving him a confused look, Buffy asked, "Can't we do that at the gym?"

Angel shook his head, "Once you start getting used to fighting and get accustomed to your strength, you won't want to be out in the open and have everyone watching."

"Oh," Buffy said, then asked, "Exactly how strong am I?"

"You'll see," Angel smiled, "Besides, I need a place where I can train you at night, I'm not really a 'day' person."

It started as a chuckle, but soon they each found themselves laughing at his corny joke. As the laughter died down, they found that they were staring into each others eyes. As they sat in comfortable silence, they each felt a connection for between the two of them.

Finally looking away, Buffy glanced down at her watch, "I've got to go to get to school. Um, do you want to, you know, meet up tonight? We can start training, or whatever?"

"If you don't have plans, it's fine with me. You can meet me here at sundown. We'll make a few rounds and I can show you a few things," Angel said.

"Ok, that sounds good," Buffy said as she moved towards the door. Just as she was about to leave, Angel called out to her.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Thank you."

Genuinely confused, Buffy asked, "For what?"

Looking anywhere but at her, he replied, "You know, for trusting me, even though you know..."

Buffy didn't say anything in return for fear that it would cheapen his words. She just nodded her understanding and exited the apartment.

As the door closed, Angel shook his head and let out a sigh. This was such a bad idea. There was no way that this would work out, but he saw no other option.

There was nothing else he could do.

There was nothing else he *wanted* to do.

~*~*~*~*~

Buffy leaned against the door in relief. It had taken all of her courage to come here and ask him for help. Even though she had been sure that he wouldn't hurt her, she had been nervous about asking him for help. She had stated the truth when she told him that she felt no danger from him, but that didn't mean that he would help her. She was scared that he would turn her down, but she hadn't had any other choice.

He was the only person that *could* help her.

The knowledge that she would soon be able to help left her feeling much better about herself. She no longer had to feel ashamed for the things that she hadn't done. Starting now, she was going to do the right thing, follow her destiny.

Taking a deep breath, Buffy started walking towards her school with her head held high. Today, things were going to change.

Everything would be different.

No more hiding. Part 3

Buffy stood silently outside Angel's door, nervously shuffling from one foot to the other. She had been waiting for this moment all day and now that she was here, she couldn't believe that she was having this much trouble simply knocking on the door.

After leaving his apartment that morning, she had made her way to school. Once her first class had started, she quickly received a note, reminding her that she had promised to go shopping with her friend Jennifer. Deciding that she needed something to keep her occupied, Buffy kept the plans.

Once the shopping trip was over, she had gone home to change cloths. Now wearing tight fitting pants and a dark shirt, she was here at his door, just standing there. All of the excitement had fled, leaving only nervousness. Finally, exasperated with her own stupidity, Buffy raised her hand and knocked on the door.

After a moment, she heard Angel's voice, "Come in."

Buffy entered the apartment quietly, not exactly sure how she was supposed to act. Angel was sitting across the room in a large recliner. Because he was leaning down, tying his shoes, she couldn't see his face.

This caused her stomach to flip nervously once again, because one of her main causes for worry was how Angel would act towards her. She knew that she had pretty much blackmailed him into helping her, and even though they had talked, she still wasn't sure how he felt about all of this. Fear for her safety wasn't an issue, she wasn't scared of him. Maybe she should have been, after the things he had told her, but she wasn't afraid. There was no doubt in her mind that he not the person that had done those horrible things and the man that he was now, would never do anything to hurt her.

Her worry stemmed from his own guilt, which was clear in his eyes for anyone to see. She was scared that he felt obliged to help her, and that wasn't what she wanted. It was true that she *needed* his help, but really, she wanted his friendship. The friendship of someone who could understand her.

Looking up from his seat, Angel quickly took in her strained appearance. Seeing the self assured girl, who had barged into his home that morning, demanding his help, looking so out of place, caused him to smile.

In an attempt to put her somewhat at ease, he said, "Hey, how are you?."

Hearing his friendly question and easy tone of voice, Buffy relaxed slightly. "Hey, I'm fine." she replied quietly.

"So, are you ready for this? You know you don't have to go through with it. You can wait for them to find you," he told her seriously.

Buffy quickly shook her head, "No, I want to do it. I have to do it, and I want you to help me. I'm just a little, you know... So, what are we going to do tonight?"

"All right, if you're sure," Angel said, as he stood up and began to gather his things. "I figured would just patrol the city some. We can make a few rounds on the streets and then we'll go to a couple of cemeteries. If there is no action, I'll show you a few moves. Have you ever had self-defense classes?"

Buffy nodded, "I've had a few lessons during gym at school."

"We'll start from there," he replied, "and then we'll just see what happens."

"Cool," Buffy replied, looking and feeling a little more at ease, as she sat down in the chair that he had vacated.

Angel smiled as he made his way around his apartment, glad to see her looking more relaxed. He was still surprised that she wasn't at all afraid of him, especially after everything that he had told her that morning. It was a strange feeling, to have her around and knowing everything about him. It had been a long time since that had happened.

Picking up a cross and a stake, he turned and held them out towards her, "Tools of the trade."

She stared at him for a moment, then stood and took the objects from his hand, "I guess I need those, huh?"

Angel shook his head slightly, "Hopefully not. Like I said, I mostly just want to show you some things, so if there is any action, I'll take care of it. That's for, 'just in case'."

Buffy smiled, "Gotcha, learning experience."

"Are you ready to go?" Angel asked as he pulled on his coat.

"I guess," Buffy replied, yet sounding unconvinced.

At her words, he turned and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "You'll be fine. Remember, tonight is just for learning. I'll take care of you."

A real smile crossed her face for the first time that night, she said, "I know, I have no doubts about that. It's just that I've never done anything like this before, fighting I mean."

"Well, I've never taught anyone to fight before, so I guess we'll learn together," Angel said with a slight chuckle.

Buffy looked at the floor for a moment and when she once again met his eyes, she seemed to have gone through some kind of transformation. Gone was the insecurity and in it's place was the determination of a girl that was ready to face her destiny, no matter what it cost her.

"Ok, let's go," she said.

They left Angel's apartment and made their way into the busy streets of LA. As they walked, he began to ask a Buffy a few questions regarding her slayer senses, trying to see how many had developed. She had mentioned being able to feel the vampires, and she had known what he was, so he was wondering what else she could do. If all of those things had developed with no training, then she would grow to be a powerful slayer, indeed.

Finding no activity around the usual places, Angel said. "I guess we can head for the the closest cemetery and see if there are any new fledglings are going to rise."

"That's fine with me," Buffy said with a shrug, "So, tell me some things I need to know about fighting vamps. For instance, what is a fledgling?"

"I guess that's as good a place as any to start. There are a few different types of vampires, some more powerful than others."

Buffy shot him a confused look, "Different types? Like different breeds or something?"

"No, not really. They are all the same *kind* of vampire, they are made same way, but...," Angel paused, trying to find a way to explain. After a pause, he started again, "Do you understand how vampires are made?"

"Not completely, I know that you have to be bitten, but I don't know what happens after that," Buffy admitted. "Most of what I know, I learned from movies and well...you see my point?"

"Yes. There has to be a blood exchange," he explained. "The victim is drained, almost to the point of death, and then they are forced to drink the vampire's blood."

"Ok," she said slowly.

Angel nodded and continued, "So, the amount of blood that they consume, determines how strong a vampire they will become."

"Oh, ok, I get that part," she said, "It's like, the more blood they get, the more vampire is inside of them.

Angel continued, "Going back to your question about fledglings, a fledgling is a vampire is less than a year old. They are usually easy to kill, once you've learned how to beat them. They pretty much have a one track mind--feeding. They usually don't have very much control, especially if you catch them the night they rise. They will be confused and going completely on instinct. They strike at the neck first, every time. Look for it and you've got them beat."

Buffy laughed slightly. "Why don't we catch them all as they come out then?" she joked.

"If only it was that simple," Angel returned.

"Yeah. Ok, so what's next?" she asked.

"I guess I'll start with the strongest, the Masters," he said, "They are usually the oldest and they lead the clans. They control everything, and nothing happens without their approval. They are very dangerous."

"Like how strong?" Buffy wondered.

"Very strong," was Angel's reply.

She was silent for a moment, before asking, "So who's the big man around here?"

"Well, there hasn't been one for a while, but I've been hearing rumors that Lothos is back in town."

"Will, I have to face him?"

"Don't worry, it will be a while if at all."

"OK, so what's next on the evolutionary scale of vampires?" Buffy asked, trying not to think about having to fight this guy Lothos.

"The next ones you have to look out for are the Childer. They are the same as the masters, just younger, so they are controlled by the Masters. If they live long enough, then they can become that powerful, but they can only take over a clan after the death of the current Master. They usually maintain their personality and knowledge from when they were human, only there is no humanity left in them."

"The only other thing you will have to deal with are Minions. They are what you usually be dealing with, because that is what most of the vampires that are made, since the Masters don't want too many others around to challenge them. Minions do all the guarding and basic work for the clan. They retain some of they human traits, but nothing special, they are usually just for extra muscle. As they age, they become stronger, but they're not very smart."

"So, where do you fit into that little line?" she asked teasingly, although from his description, she was able to guess that he had been a Childer or possibly even a Master.

He smirked at her question, "None of the above."

"I guess they don't have a 'vampire with a soul' category," she said with an easy air.

"No, they really don't like me. I am pretty much shunned," he replied without regret.

Their conversation ceased as they entered the Hollywood Cemetery. Upon entering, Angel showed Buffy how to search for the fresh graves and other signs of vampires. When they didn't find anything, they decided to check out a different cemetery.

After visiting more and finding no action, Angel decided that it was be safe to start teaching Buffy some of the things that she would need to know for fighting. Starting with her knowledge of defense, he began to show her how to protect herself from an attack. From there, he moved into the very basics of attack.

By the time she had mastered the techniques, she was worn out. Angel decided that she had done enough for one night. They both sat down so that she could rest and catch her breath.

After a few moments of silence, Angel said, "I talked to a few people today, about a place where we can do your training."

"Really?" she asked, "Did you find anything?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. They told me about a few warehouses that I am going to check out."

Looking at him strangely, Buffy said, "Warehouses?"

"They will be easier to renovate. The bottom floor is usually used for storage, so they are large and open, we can use that for your training. Also, a lot of them have offices in the upper levels that I can turn into an apartment."

"You're going to move?" she asked somewhat shocked.

"Yeah, there's no use in keeping my apartment. I'll be there most of the time anyway," he said as if it was no big deal.

"Why are you helping me? It's going to cause you so much trouble." she blurted, finally asking the question that had been on her mind all night. "I mean I know that I kind of forced you, but I mean we both know that you could have said no. This can't be easy for you, and really, you don't know anything about me, so there is no reason for you to...."

"Buffy," Angel interrupted.

Confused at his interruption, she simply asked, "What?"

"Your babbling," he smiled. He couldn't help it, she was just so cute. However, the look she gave him told him that he should answer her, so he continued. "It's no trouble."

"Why?" she asked again, not willing to give up that easy.

"Atonement," he said seriously. "This way I can give something back to the world that I took so much from."

"Oh," she said and then grew silent.

Deciding that he needed to lighten things up, Angel added, "And maybe I like you."

Buffy's head shot up to look at him. "Really?" she said shyly.

Angel smiled at her, "Yeah, I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Well, you are looking out for me, so I guess I'll be all right," she said trying to throw the subject somewhere else before she started to blush.

It didn't work though, because as soon as she looked up, their eyes locked and she felt all the blood rush to her face. The stare was very intense and they both knew that they should look away, but neither of them could seem to do it. In one another's eyes, they could see the truth--they were the same. As they grasped at that realization, the first bonds of true friendship grew between them, both finding what they had been searching for.

Finally Angel cleared his throat and said, "It's getting late, you should be getting home."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Buffy looked down at her watch, "I guess you're right."

"You want me to walk you home?" Angel asked, surprising both of them.

Flashing him a brilliant smile, she said, "Yeah, that would be nice."

Angel nodded and offered her a hand in getting up. Once they were both standing, they turned and began walking towards her house. They didn't talk, both content with being together and enjoying their new found friendship.

Part 4

~6 months later~

Buffy quietly let herself into the warehouse that served as both gym and Angel's apartment. After having a really long day, she was in a bad mood, and hoping that this early visit would cheer her up a bit. It usually did.

Shutting the door behind her, Buffy let her eyes sweep across the expansive gym that was laid out before her. In very center of the room was a large work out mat. She smiled as she remembered the many humiliating lessons that she had learned on that mat. It was surrounded by different types of workout equipment and places to practice shooting her crossbow.

Looking up, you could see what had originally been a loft style office. Angel had turned it into an apartment. Buffy smiled as she thought about the room that he had converted into a bedroom for her. While it had been meant for occasional use, she usually ended up staying there. It really didn't matter, her parents never noticed what she was doing anyway. They were too busy fighting with each other.

The parental fighting was only the beginning of her recent problems. School was another unpleasant point in her life, it was not going well. As she started putting more time and effort into her slaying, her grades had begun to drop. Unfortunately, *that* was something that her parents *had* noticed. Angel had come to her aid on that front, however. He helped her study so nights, instead of training, so things were beginning to get better.

The other school related problem she had involved her friends. The slaying was beginning to make distant from her them. The things that were so important to them, no longer seemed like the life and death tragedy they made them out to be. to Buffy. She had also broken up with Tyler a few months ago. He had demanded that she spend more time with him, and she had told him that it was impossible. Surprisingly, she hadn't been that upset about it. She was still allowed to be in 'their company', but things were definitely strained and becoming more so. She wasn't sure how long it would be until she was an outcast from the 'popular' people.

'That's ok,' Buffy thought to herself. 'I would rather hang around with Angel, anyway.'

She sighed, all thoughts seemed to lead back to Angel now days. He still claimed that the Watcher's would find her and that he would be forced to leave, but Buffy was determined that she wouldn't let that happen. Even if they did finally find her, which she had serious doubts about, she wouldn't go with them or work with them. When Angel packed up to leave, she would just go with him.

He had been training with her for the last 6 months and Buffy couldn't have wished for a better teacher. He always took the time to explain every maneuver to her and was understanding when she had trouble mastering it. He always listened to her questions and never questioned her feelings.

However, that didn't mean that he was easy on her, it was quite the opposite actually. He was a brutal trainer. She was never allowed to move on to a new task until there were no mistakes in her previous attempts. Her limits were always being pushed, but she understood his motivation. It was all to ensure that she lived to see the following sunrise. The vampires she fought did not go easy on her, therefore neither did he.

Through it all, he had somehow managed to become her very best friend. They always managed to know when something was bothering the other, and one way or another get them to talk about it. It was really nice to have someone that understood her the way that Angel did. She was glad to have him as a friend.

Occasionally, she thought that one day they might be more to their relationship.

Shaking her head at that thought, Buffy looked around to see if she could find Angel. It was still a little early, but he was usually up before sunset.

When she couldn't spot him she decided on a different attempt, "Angel!"

"What?" was the question that came from directly behind her.

"Ahhh!" she screamed, whirling around to face him. Finally regaining her breath she looked into his laughing face, "Don't do that! How do you do that?"

"Practice," was his smug reply.

Buffy looked at him sourly. "Practice," she repeated.

"Uh-huh. So what's up?" Angel asked as he started up the stairs that lead to his apartment. One look at her, as she stood in the doorway, had told him that something was bothering her. She was very easy to read when she was upset.

Following behind him, she asked innocently, "What do you mean?"

"Ok, we're going to go this route," Angel sighed. "You're early. Why?"

"No one was at home, Mom and Dad must have had other things to do. I didn't want to stay there, so I came over to raid your fridge."

When they reached his kitchen, Angel watched as she rummaged through the food in his refrigerator and sighed once again. It was like pulling teeth to get her to talk if there was something really bothering her. If it had just been a tiff with her parents or some other little thing, she would have burst through the door and started bombarding him with complaints about the problem. Those outbursts usually contained complaints about her parents, or all parents in general. Even when she had broken up with her boyfriend, she had just pummeled the punching bad for a couple of hours, and told him all about the evils that men do. This continued silence told him that there was something seriously bothering her.

Deciding to try again, he said, "You normally like to be at home by yourself, you said it was quieter."

"Do you want me to leave?" she asked, sounding slightly offended.

"No," he answered as he moved closer to her, "I want you to tell me what's wrong."

Giving in slightly, Buffy asked, "Your not going to believe that I just like your food better?'

Angel laughed at that, "Buffy, I don't eat food. You shop for everything that I have here, of course you like it better. Now are you going to tell me what's wrong and get it over with or am I going to have to harass you all night?"

Taking her newly made sandwich with her, Buffy walked to his couch and flopped down. Once he was seated next to her, she began to tell him about the problems she was having with her friends and their whispers and strange looks.

It caused Angel pain to hear that her 'friends' were abandoning her just because she had changed. Because of the major things that were going on in her life, she needed them more than ever and they weren't there for her. It all proved to him that his thoughts about them were true, they didn't really care about her.

As she finished, Angel didn't say anything, knowing that it made her feel better simply to have talked about it. The fact that he had listened and cared about what happened to her, did wonders for her mood.

Feeling much better, Buffy picked up the TV remote, and began to switch through the stations. Quickly finding what she was looking for, she settled into the couch and became lost in the plot of her favorite soap opera.

Angel snorted at her choice and earned a glare for his trouble. He knew that she loved this show, because she made him watch it all the time, but he didn't understand the attraction. He found the whole concept silly. Therefore, while she watched, he dozed off on his end of the couch.

He was brought back to full wakefulness when he felt a stinging pain in his arm. Once he was fully awake, he could tell by the jovial look on Buffy's face that she had pinched him.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"You've slept long enough, you missed all of the good shows," she replied.

"Damn, sorry to miss that," he said sarcastically. Looking around, Angel was surprised to see that he had slept well past sunset. Rubbing his arm, he asked, "Did you have to pinch me?"

She merely smiled in response and asked a question of her own, "Are we going to patrol tonight?"

Angel shook his head sleepily, "No, it's Friday night. Why don't you go out and have some fun, nothing horrible will happen if you miss one night of patrolling."

"I'll agree, on one condition," she replied thoughtfully.

Giving her a quizzical look, he asked, "What?"

"You come with me," she answered. "I want to go to the movies, but it'll be no fun if I go by myself."

He hesitated, then gave her a look that was full of something that resembled fear, "Are you gonna make me see a teenage romance flick?"

When he cracked a smile, she slapped him on the arm,"Angel!"

"Ow, this is Angel abuse," he said with a laugh. When she raised her hand once again, he flinched away dramatically and said, "All right, I'll go!"

"I thought you'd see it my way," Buffy said, as she stood up to find Angel's newspaper.

He chuckled and said quietly, "I usually do."

Almost an hour later, after much deliberation about which movie they were to see, Buffy and Angel arrived at the theater. After buying their tickets, Buffy grabbed Angel's hand and pulled him into the refreshment line, saying that it was part of the experience. While standing in line, Buffy saw three people that went to school with her, standing not too far away. She didn't know them very well, so she just waved and then turned her attention back to the junk food that was before her.

Once Buffy finally had everything that she considered necessities, they were able to go to their seats. They had decided to see this particular movie, because neither of them had ever heard of it and once it began, they found out why. It was, quite easily, the worst movie that either of them had ever seen.

The entire time was spent talking and making fun of the characters and plot. It didn't really matter that they were being noisy, considering that there were only a few other people in the room and they were doing the same thing.

Basically, they had a blast.

As they exited the theater, Buffy said, "Angel, this was so much fun. Thank you for coming with me."

"No problem," he said easily.

She reached up and grasped his arm, causing him to stop walking. Once had tuned to face her, she said, "I mean it, Angel. Today was quite possibly the worst day I have ever had in my life and, somehow, you managed to fix everything. Thank you."

Angel gazed at her for a few seconds and then took both of her hands into his own. "Buffy, before I met you, I had almost forgotten what it was like to have a friend. The last six months have been....a very bright spot, in a very dark existence. I can't even tell you the last time that I laughed as much as I did tonight, I should be the one thanking you," he said seriously.

His words, combined with look in his eyes, made Buffy blush. Shyly, she said, "Well, I guess it's a good thing that we met then."

A smile crossed his face and he took a step closer to her, "A very good thing."

Angel wasn't exactly sure what he was doing, but being closer to her seemed to be the right choice. He had known for quite a while now that he was loosing his heart to this beauty before him, but had been determined not to let her know. She deserved better than he could give her. However, right now, the happiness in her eyes and the pretty blush that decorated her cheeks were quickly causing him to forget all of his good intentions and drop all of his barriers.

As if they had a mind of their own, his hands released hers and moved to her waist, pulling her closer. Buffy placed her hands on his muscled chest and looked up into his dark eyes. As his head dropped towards her own, all Buffy could think was 'He's finally going to kiss me."

Just as they were anticipating their first touch, the private world that they had created was shattered as a scream pierced the night. Breaking apart, they turned and ran to a nearby alley, where they were greeted by the sight of three people surrounded by a crowd of vampires.

Moving on instinct, Buffy and Angel moved in different directions, hoping to get as close as possible before they were discovered. As she moved closer, Buffy saw that she recognized the people, they were the kids from her school that she had seen earlier.

There were two guys and a girl. The guys were doing their best to protect the girl, who seemed to be frozen in fear. If Buffy remembered correctly, the girls name was Alonna and the guys were her brother, Gunn, and her boyfriend Pike.

Buffy's thought's were interrupted as she saw Angel give her the signal to move in. Skillfully the each dusted the vampire closest to them, then turned to face the remaining mob. Just as several of the vmpires began to surrond her, Buffy screamed, "Run!" to the frightened teens.

After a moment, the message seemed to sink in and the three of them started running towards the alley's entrance. As Gunn passed her, Buffy heard him ask, "Buffy? What's..."

"Just get out of here," she interrupted as yet another vampire moved towards her. Once she had dispatched it, she was glad to see that Gunn had taken her advise. Looking to her left, Buffy saw that Angel was dealing with the last of the 'gang'.

Looking at the many piles of dust that now adorned the ground, Buffy asked, "What do you think that was about?"

Dusting off his clothes, Angel shook his head, "The numbers are increasing, Lothos must be getting ready to make his move."

"Boy, that sounds like fun," she sighed and began walking out of the alley. "What am I going to do about them?"

"Who?" Angel asked as he fell in step beside her.

"Those people we just saved. I go to school with them, Angel. I know that at least one of them recognized me, what am I going to tell them?"

"The human race is not ready to believe in the existence of vampires, Buffy. Most of the time, you'll find that they convince themselves that what happened was completely explainable. They probably won't even remember that you were there."

"And if they do?" she questioned.

Angel stopped walking and looked at her seriously, "Then it's your decision what you tell them."

Buffy understood what her was trying to tell her. He was saying that she could tell them the truth, if she wanted to, because he knew that the burden of carrying this secret was beginning to weigh heavy on her. Thinking about it, Buffy realized that it would be nice if someone else knew, but she didn't really know these people. She would just have to wait until Monday and see what happened.

She looked at Angel, and wished with all her might that the stupid vampires could have waited for thirty more seconds. She *really* wanted to know what it would have been like to kiss him. Buffy sighed, 'Maybe one day.'

Smiling, she held out her hand to him, "Walk me home?"

Angel, who had been been thinking almost the same thing, gently grasped the offered hand. Smiling in return, he replied, "Always."

Part 5

Buffy stood in the middle of the crowded cafeteria, glancing back and forth between her regular seat and an empty table across the room. After a few seconds of inner debate, she decided that the empty table was the lesser of the two evils. Buffy cast her 'friends' one final glance, then walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down. Then, she turned her thoughts towards her *other* problem.

The three people who possibly had the knowledge to blow her secret wide open.

She had been looking for them all day, but so far, hadn't been able to find them. Although, that was possibly a good thing, since she still wasn't sure what she was going to say. In an attempt to figure that out, Buffy started a list of the things that she knew about each of them, which, admittedly wasn't much.

The one that had recognized her was Gunn, or more precisely, Charles Gunn. She was shocked that he even knew her name since he was a senior. He was two years older than her and, therefore, they didn't interact much. She had seen him hanging out with a few different people a couple of times, but he really wasn't a part of any particular group. He seemed to like to keep to himself.

The girl was Gunn's sister, Alonna. Buffy knew a little bit more about her since they were both sophomores. Alonna hung out with some of the more popular kids, so they had met a few times, but they had never really talked much. Like her brother, she seemed to be a bit of a loner. The only person that Buffy had seen her with regularly, was her with her boyfriend, Pike.

He was someone that Buffy knew almost nothing about. All that she knew was that his real name was Patrick Cooper, but he preferred to be called Pike. This was his first year at Hemery, so she hadn't had many chances to meet him.

Deep in her thoughts, Buffy was startled when a voice asked, "Are these seats taken?"

Looking up quickly, Buffy saw the very people she had just been thinking about, looking at her expectantly.

"Umm, no. Go ahead." she stammered in response.

They each grabbed a chair and seated themselves around the table. Once they were settled, the three of them just looked at one another. Buffy observed that both Pike and Alonna seemed to look to Gunn as the person who would start the conversation.

After a moment of silence, he finally asked Buffy, "Why are you over here all by yourself? Don't you usually sit over there?"

The question wasn't what she had been expecting and, therefore, caught her off guard. She looked in the direction that he pointed, and sighed, "I can't deal with them right now, I just need to be...away."

Alonna looked at her quizzically, "Did you guys have a fight or something?"

Wariness of the strangers giving way to annoyance, Buffy said, "I missed a stupid dance committee meeting Saturday morning and you would think that I had committed one of the deadly sins. They've been on my case all morning. If I'm way over here, I don't have to listen to them. It's not like they really care if I'm around anymore anyway."

"You know, it's understandable that you would miss the meeting," Gunn said. "You must have been tired."

"Tired?" she asked, caught off guard once again. Suddenly, Buffy didn't like the way this was going, "Why would I be tired?"

Gunn looked at her seriously, "Oh you know, I just figured that all of that fighting you did Friday night would be tiresome. It seems like that would really take it out of you."

"Oh that," she replied with a nervous smile. Trying to play it down, she said, "That was no big deal. We just came along at the right time and must've scared them, because they all ran away. None of them put up a fight."

"Oh, it was just some sort of gang attack?" Pike said, speaking up for the first time. "That's funny, because they sure looked like vampires to me. Do you know what I found even funnier? The fact that you *knew* that's what they were and you weren't scared of them."

"Vampires?" Buffy repeated suspiciously, doing her very best to play the part of the dumb blond.

"Yeah, vampires," Gunn replied matter-of-factly. "What we want to know is what you were doing?"

Looking into the three serious faces, she realized that they weren't going to back down. Somehow, they knew of the existence of vampires and because of that, they would never accept one the lame excused she had to offer.

Giving in, she asked quietly, "How do you know about vampires?"

"Ok, if that's how you want it, I'll go first," Pike said with a sad smile. "I've got this friend, his name is Benny...or his name was Benny. A few months ago, Benny disappeared for a couple of days. I was beginning to get worried when he suddenly turned up at my window. There was only one tiny difference, had acquired a new set of fangs."

"I'm sorry," Buffy said immediately.

She always felt regret when she heard that someone had been changed or killed. Since finding out that she was the Chosen One, she considered it her responsibility to keep the public safe. Angel tried his best to comfort her, but despite his warnings that she couldn't protect everyone, it still hurt.

Pike nodded, "So, now you know about me, it's your turn."

Taking a deep breath, Buffy began her tale. Giving them the 'In every generation' speech that Angel had first given her, she told them about being the slayer. When she had finally finished, she half expected them to tell her that she was nuts and run away.

They simply nodded.

"Who was the guy that was with you?" Alonna asked.

"Um, that was Angel," Buffy stammered. She didn't want to tell them anything about Angel. It wasn't her place to tell them about his life, he was the only one who could do that. "He's a friend, he helps me sometimes."

That seemed to be the opening that Gunn was waiting for, "We'll help you, too"

Shocked, Buffy shook her head, "No! You can't!"

Motioning for her to be more quiet, he asked, "Why not?"

"It's too dangerous, you'll get hurt," she answered.

"Angel helps you, doesn't he? Why is it safe for him, but not for us?" Alonna asked.

Buffy remained silent, stuck in her own lie. There was no way she could tell them that Angel wasn't normal, but she had to try and dissuade them.

"He's fought them before, he knows what he's doing," she said finally.

"If you teach us, we'll know what we are doing too," Pike said determinedly.

"No," Buffy repeated, "I can't let you put yourselves in danger like that. I don't have a choice, I'm the Chosen One. You do have a choice. None of you have to do this, enjoy your life. No one deserves to see the things that I face every night."

"I've already lost one friend, I don't want to lose anymore. I know that we aren't 'super strong' like you, but I don't see how it could hurt to have extra backup."

"Yeah," Gunn agreed, "The way I see it is this; we are going to fight them. The only question is are you going to help us?"

"Let me think about it," Buffy sighed. "I''ll talk to Angel, see what he thinks and I'll let you know tomorrow."

Alonna saw that the boys were about to protest. Knowing instinctively that Buffy would never agree if they pushed further, Alonna quickly said, "That sounds fair enough. So, Buffy, what do you do when your not saving the world?"

~*~

"So, what do you think?" Buffy asked, then quickly jumped to the side as Angel attempted to knock her feet out from under her.

She had been telling him about the scene that had occurred at lunch, while the two of them were sparing. Over the last few months they had become almost equal in combat skills. Their many training sessions had caused them to fall into a routine, so it was relatively easy to keep the conversation going while they trained.

"It sounds like this Pike has a reason to fight," Angel said, now dodging a punch from Buffy. "Now that he knows there are people who fight the demons, you may not be able to stop him trying."

At his statement, Buffy stopped and stared at him, "Angel, are you crazy? He'll get himself killed!"

Deciding that it was time for a break, Angel walked off the mat and motioned for Buffy to follow him. He picked up a bottle of water and a towel and handed them to Buffy, while he tried to figure out how to explain his thoughts to her.

Once they were both seated comfortably on the floor, he said, "It's guaranteed that he'll get killed...if he's alone. But, if he's trained correctly and in a group, he'll have a better chance. Isn't that better than the three of them going out there alone and unprepared?"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," she sighed. "Are you suggesting that we train them?"

Angel shrugged, "Why not? It will be safer for them that way. Besides, if they're around, you won't be alone anymore."

"I'm not alone," Buffy smiled, "I have you."

"You know what I meant," he replied, not looking at her.

Buffy could have sworn that she had embarrassed him with her comment, although that hadn't been her intention. She decided not to comment on it and asked, "So, we're doing the group thing now?"

"I think that's our only option," he replied.

"Ok," Buffy said, "What are we going to tell them about you? How are we going to explain to them why you are so strong?"

"For now, I'd rather not tell them the whole story," he answered honestly. "We'll figure it out as we go along. Why don't you bring them by here tomorrow after you get out of school? It will give me a chance to meet them, and maybe we can explain a few things."

Standing up, Buffy said, "Ok, if that's what you want to do."

Angel nodded and accepted the hand that Buffy offered. She pulled him to his feet and together, they moved to finish their workout.

~*~

"This all seems so weird," Alonna commented as they walked away from the warehouse.

Buffy smiled gently, "You'll get used to it...or maybe I should say, learn to accept it. I don't know if anyone could really get used to it."

The two of them glanced back at Gunn and Pike, who were trailing along behind. They had to fight to conceal their mirth at the image the two sulking guys made.

At lunch that day, Buffy had told the three of them that she and Angel would train them. So, as previously decided, the group had gone to the warehouse to meet Angel after school. The five of them had talked for a little while, before Gunn and Pike decided that they should prove themselves. They wanted to show that they were as good as anyone else in a fight. Unfortunately, Buffy and Angel had quickly shown them that they had a lot to learn. Neither of the guys had been hurt, but their egos were sufficiently bruised.

Because of their previous knowledge of Buffy superior strength, they weren't really bothered by her ability, even though she was a girl. It was the fact that Angel had easily batted away their attempts to best him that had them in a huff. Of course they had no way of knowing that he also possessed extreme strength. Angel hadn't wanted to embarrass them, but the two of them had to be shown that things were going to be tough.

Angel still hadn't completely made up his mind on what to tell them about himself. The more the teens were around, the more differences they were sure to notice. But for now, he just couldn't chance their reaction. Once they had become accustom to the way things were, he and Buffy would find a way to tell their new friends about his...lifestyle.

Abruptly Alonna asked, "So, what's up with you and Angel?"

"What do mean?" Buffy asked, giving her a quizzical look.

"Don't look so innocent," Alonna laughed, "There are definite sparks there."

Buffy shook her head, "No, it's nothing like that. We're just friends."

Even as she said it, Buffy couldn't help but think back to that night at the movies. She had been so sure that Angel was about to kiss her. Now that she had time to think about it, her certainty was fading. They had been together almost all weekend, but he hadn't made any move to try again. Nothing was different, he had acted the same as always.

Basically, the whole situation had her confused.

"Ok," Alonna replied, deciding to let it go for now. She and Buffy still didn't know each other very well, although she intended to change that. Through her whole life, she had never really had a close friend, except for her brother, and later Pike. There was something about Buffy that made Alonna think that the two of them could become good friends.

Once that happened, Alonna planned to find out what was going on between her new friend and the tall, handsome man that she had just been introduced to. Anyone who spent any time with the two of them would be able to feel the undercurrents that they produced. Their feelings were obvious, but they seemed to be oblivious.

Right then, Alonna decided that she would be the one to open their eyes.

Glancing at Alonna, Buffy smiled. It was nice to have someone to talk to about Angel, even if this particular conversation was a little embarrassing. Over the last six months, she and Angel had become the closest of friend, and yet she couldn't tell anyone about him. It had been a very difficult situation.

Looking around at her new friends, Buffy smiled once again. Maybe this change wouldn't be so bad, after all Part 6

Angel sat in his living room, deep in thought, while he awaited Buffy's arrival. An hour earlier, she had called to say that she was coming over to talk to him. When he questioned her, she had refused to discuss it further over the phone, but she had sounded upset. Basically, the whole conversation had caused him to begin worrying. To be truthful though, it didn't take a lot to make him worry about Buffy.

Things had been easier for her since they had sorted out the mess with Gunn, Alonna and Pike. Although he hadn't let it show, the whole situation had made him uneasy when she first told him that they wanted to work with the two of them. As it turned out, it had been a blessing in disguise.

The three teens had taken their training very seriously, listening to everything they were told and had quickly become dependable additions to their lives. It had become customary for the five of them to patrol the city every night. They split up, Buffy, Alonna, and Pike in one group and Angel and Gunn making up the other. When they finished and the three others went home, Buffy and Angel would make another sweep of the cemeteries.

The new friendship and the freedom to be herself had caused Buffy's whole outlook to change radically. She no longer worried about the opinions of the people she used to consider her friends. She and Alonna had hit it off immediately and were now very good friends, always laughing and joking. He loved to see her laugh.

Surprisingly enough, Angel himself had found real friends in Gunn and Pike. His whole life, both before and after his change, he had been a loner, not really one for having people around him. However, he had quickly found that he liked their easy going personalities and felt comfortable in their presence.

The only problem was the fact that they had no idea about his 'problem'. He had planned to just tell them once he knew they were trustworthy. The friendship he had formed with them complicated things. Now he didn't know how to tell them without ruining everything. He didn't know how far he could push their understanding. In his 246 years he had only met one person who had been able to accept everything about him.

That person, of course, was Buffy.

He could feel his unseating heart swell with love at just the thought of her. It had taken him a while, but he now couldn't deny the fact that he was in love with her. Taking an unneeded breath, Angel ran a hand through his hair and sighed loudly. He had no idea how he had ended up in this situation.

Sighing once again, he shook his head. He knew exactly how this happened. The minute he had laid eyes on her, he had known that there was a very high likelihood that he would fall for her, but he had thought that he would be able to control it...or at least keep it to himself.

If the constant hints that Alonna was always throwing at him and Buffy meant anything, then he had messed up. Big time.

To make matters worse, Buffy obviously knew about his feelings and she didn't seem to mind. She usually only laughed at Alonna's jokes and cast him a happy smile. It seemed she either wasn't good at hiding her feelings either or she wasn't trying.

Things were definitely getting tense.

Almost any time that the two of them were alone, one way or another, they would end up in one of those 'moments'. The kind of moment where they could each understood what the other was feeling and knew that it was mutual.

However, nothing ever happened during these times, because something *ALWAYS* interrupted them. It had happened so many times that he was getting to the point where he was ready to lock the doors any time the two of them were alone.

It seemed like a higher power was trying to tell him that it was wrong.

He wasn't sure, himself, that it would be in her best interests if he did let something happen. She deserved so much more than he could ever offer her, but when he saw the yearning in her eyes, he couldn't find the strength to distance himself from her. He just couldn't do it.

All he wanted to do was love her.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the door of the warehouse open. He stood and watched as Buffy walked slowly up the stairs. Once she reached the top, however, she made no attempt to move further into the room. Walking quickly in her direction, Angel was shocked by the absolute misery that was apparent on her face.

"Buffy?" he said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

At the sound of his voice she raised her eyes to his face. Immediately she lost all of her control, the dam of emotions broke, and she fell sobbing into his arms.

Surprised, Angel could do nothing at first, but his arms instinctively pulled her to his chest. Once he regained his senses, he reached down, lifting her into his arms and carried her towards the couch. He sat down with Buffy still cradled in his arms, trying his best to comfort her.

For several moments she continued to cry, the great heaving sobs making her entire body shake. Not knowing what else to do, he just let her cry while he whispered comforting words in her ear and rubbed her back gently.

Eventually, her tears subsided, and she smiled weakly at him, "Hi."

"Hi," he replied, "Are you ok?"

"Not really, but I'm a little better now," she answered.

Suddenly, her surrounding came into focus and she noticed that she was sitting in his lap. Flushing brightly, Buffy scrambled away and moved to sit next to him. Despite her embarrassment, she just couldn't seem to move far away.

"What happened," he asked, "Can I help?"

"You already have," Buffy said. Sighing dramatically she asked, "Why, just when things are going so good, does everything have to get screwed up?"

Unable to stop himself, Angel gently hugged her to him, "You have no idea how much I wish I had the answer to that for you."

For a few minutes, she remained silent. Even though he was extremely concerned about her, Angel could see that she was trying to work through her thoughts so he just waited for her to tell him what was wrong.

"My parents are getting a divorce," she finally whispered.

"Oh baby, I'm sorry," Angel said. Neither really noticed the endearment, because they were both lost in their own thoughts.

From their many discussions, he was aware that her parents had a unhappy marriage. With the knowledge of their many fights, he secretly thought that this might be the best solution. However, he also knew that no matter the state of their relationship, no child could easily accept the collapse of her world.

After sniffing back more tears, she finally continued, "Mom is moving to a town a few hours away from here called Sunnydale and Dad is going to stay in LA. She wants me to come with her, but Dad said that it was my choice."

Angel flinched as he immediately recognized the name of the town the housed the Hellmouth. The thought of Buffy moving there, made his skin crawl. The kinds of things that she faced in LA were nothing compared to the things the Hellmouth would throw at her.

"I don't know what to do, I'm so confused," she said. Giving him a begging glance, she asked, "What does this mean for me? What's going to happen? I can't leave, I have my slaying responsibilities...and my friends...and you..and..."

Angel placed a finger under her chin so that she was forced to look into his eyes. Once her was sure he had her attention, he started to speak.

"You'll do what is best for you, Buffy. You are the only person who can make this decision, because you are the one who has to live with it. Don't think about the slaying, this is only about you. Your friends will be with you no matter where you are, friendship is like that," he smiled.

"What about you?" she asked quietly.

"Me? I'm here with you, or there with you. It doesn't matter, I'm in this for the long run. Where ever you decide to go, I'll follow."

"No more leaving when the watchers council?" she asked almost afraid of the hope that his words caused.

His words were like a ray of sunshine cutting through her dark world. The moment she was able to comprehend her parents announcement, everything in her began to scream for Angel. He was the only one who could ever make her feel safe. The love she felt for him made her feel whole.

Now, something in his tone and his vow made her realize that, possibly, the love wasn't one sided.

"No, I can't leave you. Not after everything that we have been through together," he replied.

"I can't believe you'd do that for me,"she said, with awe apparent in her voice.

"Of course, I will," he said. Feeling the need to lighted the mood, he added, "Besides, I'm not gonna leave the safety of my girl to a bunch of people who couldn't even find you, in the first place."

Smirking at him slightly, she repeated, "Your girl?"

"Umm...." Damning himself for the slip-up, Angel tried in vain to find a way out of the situation he had created.

"That's ok," Buffy said, gracing him with her first true smile since her arrival. "I could definitely get used to the sound of that."

He turned back towards her to comment, but the look her saw in her eyes made the words die in his throat. Love...undisguised and open for anyone to see. Without thinking, he gently pulled her close and did the one thing he had wanted to do since meeting her.

He kissed her.

At first, she was shocked. Even after his words, she hadn't been expecting it. However, she quickly regained her sensed and returned his embrace.

Just as suddenly as he had started it, Angel pulled away from her, "We can't...I shouldn't have..."

She quickly placed her hand against him mouth, efficiently stopping his protest, "Angel, shut up."

With that, she pulled him to her once more, this time with even more passion than the first.

Unable to do anything else, Angel gave in to the feelings that were raging inside of him and returned her kiss. He put everything into it, wanting to show her all of the things that was unable to express with words.

When they broke apart once again, they were both stunned at the emotions they felt from simply kissing one another. Finally, Buffy moved back slightly, but remained in the safe circle of his arms.

Leaning back against him, she chuckled slightly, "That took long enough, I was starting to think it would never happen."

As much as he hated to, Angel had to express the thought that was plaguing him, "Maybe it shouldn't have."

At his statement, she turned to face him, a disgruntled look marring her delicate features.

Seeing her look, he quickly moved to clarify his statement, "Your really young Buffy. I can't give you what you need, the things a normal man could give you."

"What I need?" she asked as her expression changed once again, this time it was tinged with humor. "Who are you talking to?"

"Buffy..."

"Angel...," she said mocking his tone. "Who is it that I always run to when something is wrong? Who was it that turned his entire world upside down to help me. Who is the one person in the world that I depend on to protect me?"

With no real way to dispute her claim, Angel remained silent. It was true that she would never find anyone else in the world who would work harder to make her happy.

Seeing that she was getting through, she continued. "I don't think I will ever find anyone who treats me like you do. As for the things you can't give me, I really believe that they are out numbered by the things you can. It seems to me that I have everything I ever wanted or needed right here."

The fact that she was willing to give up so much to be with him, meant more to him than anything ever had before. His love for her swelled inside of him, leaving no room for any of his doubts.

"Buffy," he sighed, "my strength is shot. I am so tired of fighting what I feel for you."

"Then stop fighting, just feel," came her whisper.

Smiling, Angel decided to take her advice and once again pressed his lips to hers.

An hour later, the two of them were still in his living room. As the time passed, she had told him the whole story of her parents separation. It seemed that they had been planning this divorce for a while, but they hadn't seen fit to share the plans with Buffy. The divorce would be finalized within the week and her mother would be leaving for Sunnydale the next.

Angel had also filled Buffy in of the activities of the Hellmouth. At first she had been worried for her mother's safety, but Angel had assured her that things were quiet there for now. He also told her that he had several contacts there so they would know if anything were to begin.

They had been sitting quietly for a while when Buffy suddenly announced, "I'm going to stay here, in LA."

"Are you sure? Don't do this because of me, I told you, I'll be wherever you are," he stated.

She nodded, "I can't imagine leaving every one behind. I mean, I just found my back up crew. I've never had friends like that before, they mean so much to me. Also, I really don't want to leave LA."

Angel nodded. He had been trying to hide his dislike for the idea because her hadn't wanted to influence her decision, but he was very relieved.

Suddenly Buffy laughed, "Besides, I just talked you into letting me decorate."

At her mention of the discussion from the day before, Angel cringed, "You promised, no bright colors."

"Don't worry," Buffy said, patting his shoulder, "You'll love it, you'll see."

Angel couldn't resist and quickly kissed her once again.

"This is nice," Buffy sighed.

"Yeah," he returned.

Buffy stood, "Ok, I'm going to go, before I get distracted."

Nodding, Angel also stood and followed her to the door.

Before exiting, she turned towards him, "I can't believe how much better you make things seem. I can hardly believe that just a few hours ago I was questioning everything about my life. I just knew that there was no way things in my life would ever be the same."

Placing a loose stand of hair behind her ear, Angel smiled, "You are so strong, Buffy. So much stronger than you give yourself credit for being. All you needed was someone to listen to you and let you vent your feelings."

"I don't know what I did to deserve you in my life," she stated.

"I am the one who needs to be asking that question, but never, never question what you mean to me."

At his words, she blushed slightly, "I've got to go. I'll call and tell you what they have to say.

"Ok."

Angel watched her leave and sighed to himself. He had just broken every promise he had ever made to himself in regards to Buffy.

He'd never felt better. Part 7

Buffy sat in Geometry class staring at the board and trying her best to pay attention. This was made difficult by the fact that math was the last thing on her mind. When a folded up piece of paper landed in front of her, she gave up trying and opened the note.

~So you decided to stay in LA~ Alonna's perfect script questioned.

Completely zoning out her class, Buffy replied, *Yes, I told Mom and Dad this last night.* Making sure that the teacher wasn't looking, she quickly sent the note back to her friend.

When it came back to her, she sighed when she read, ~Good, you'll be able to go to the dance on Saturday.~

*I don't know if I'll go. It's not like I have a date or anything,* was her reply.

~I bet Angel would go with you if you asked him~ Alonna countered.

*I don't think so.*

~Why?~

Buffy thought about her response. Why didn't she want to ask Angel to go with her to the dance? Also, and possibly more importantly, why hadn't she told Alonna about her possible romance with Angel?

The truth was that she was very confused about where things stood between herself and Angel. For months now, he had been her friend, possibly the best friend she had ever had. Now she didn't know what her was to her and that scared her.

When they were together, they usually laughed and talked, but now she had no clue how she was supposed to act around him. She had finally gotten what she wanted and had waited for, but she didn't know where they were supposed to go. Did he really want them to be a couple? Would he want to do something like go to a dance with her?

Deciding not to go into all of that, Buffy pushed the thoughts aside and simply wrote, *Just because.* Decided to change the subject she wrote, *Remind me to tell the guys that we all need to meet at Angel's after school. He has some news about Lothos.*

As she finished reading Buffy's statement, Alonna noticed that the teacher was watching her closely. Quickly stuffing the note inside of her book, she merely nodded at Buffy, then both girls turned there attention back to math.

~~~~~

"So what's the news on our resident big bad?" Pike asked as the all settled into their seats. Over the weeks since their initial meeting, Angel's apartment had become the official meeting place for Buffy's 'gang'. Therefore, they had all gone there after school to find out what Angel had discovered.

"Well I've talked to some of my contacts and they all say the same thing." Angel answered, then looked at Buffy, "You've been causing serious to damage to Lothos' numbers. It looks like he is planning something in retaliation. The best I can tell, it's set for Saturday."

"Saturday," Alonna questioned quickly.

"Do you think he would try something at the dance?" Gunn asked, directing his question towards Angel.

Angel in turn, looked at Buffy, "What dance?"

"There's a dance at the school Saturday night," she answered. "Would he try it?"

He considered this for a moment before nodding his head, "That sounds like Lothos, he likes to make a scene."

"I guess we all need to be there then," Buffy sighed in resignation. She really hadn't planned on attending.

"That's not a problem, we're all students, but how's Angel going to get in?" Alonna asked innocently and shot Buffy a look.

At this, Buffy sighed again. A forced date was not exactly what she had been looking for. "Well, I don't have a date, you can come with me," she said to Angel.

"Ok," Angel answered, but not without noticing Buffy's reluctance.

While the others continued to talk, Buffy slowly approached Angel. After a moment she said, "If nothing happens, you don't have to stay. I mean being at a school dance probably isn't your idea of a great time."

Suddenly her attitude made sense to him. When Gunn had first mentioned the dance, Angel had wondered why Buffy hadn't mentioned it to him, she was usually so excited about that kind of thing. Now he knew why. She didn't think he would want to go with her.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and nothing will happen." He smiled as she tried to cover her hurt expression, "Then we can spend the whole time dancing."

A wide smile split her face as said, "Yeah, maybe."

From then on, all spare time was spent training and reading themselves for what could possibly be the battle of their lives.

Things between Buffy and Angel were more relaxed, but they hadn't been able to find enough time alone to discuss their relationship. The remaining tension was making them both edgy and feeling as if it would never end.

Finally thought, the night of the dance did arrive. The theme of the dance was 'Fairy Magic' and the gym was decorated accordingly. Everything was done in glitter covered pinks and blues, which sparked under the lights. Puffy clouds hung from the ceiling, giving the entire room a 'floating in the sky' atmosphere.

Being in the room was like being inside a dream and slowly Buffy discovered that she ws enjoying herself. She was actually having a great time, having danced with Angel, Gunn, and Pike.

After one of these dances, she announced that she was going to get some punch. Just as she ws about to return to her friends, she was approached by Tyler and Jennifer.

"Buffy, it's so good to see you," Jennifer said with false sincerity

"I bet," Buffy replied, giving her a half smile.

"I am!," Jennifer insisted. "I didn't think you were going to come, it's so embarrassing to show up stag."

At this comment, Buffy had to laugh, "I wouldn't know, I'm not here alone."

"Oh so who did you pay to bring you," Tyler asked, speaking up for the first time.

"I don't need this," she sighed and turned to leave, causing her to run squarely into Angel's broad chest.

"Hey, I was wondering what happened to you," he commented.

"Sorry, I just ran into some *friends,* Tyler and Jennifer," she introduced.

Angel glanced at the two people standing nearby and quickly recognized them as her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend. "Hi," he said. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm going to steal her away for a dance."

Without waiting for their response, Angel grabbed Buffy's hand and pulled her onto the dance floor. As they began to sway to the music, Buffy said, "Thanks."

"Anytime," he replied. "You ok?"

"I'm perfect" she answered as she snuggled deeper into his embrace.

"You know, this does seem perfect, except for one thing," Angel said after a moment.

Buffy looked up and was about to question him when his lips captured hers in a gentle kiss. Pulling back slightly, he smiled, "Now it's perfect."

"You're right," she agreed. Then, without hesitating, she pulled him into another kiss.

As the song ended they broke apart and slowly moved off the dance floor toward Pike and Alonna. They were both fully aware that their friend were not oblivious to the kissing session that had happened on the dance floor, but they were going to play it cool.

"Have a nice dance?" Alonna questioned, eyeing the arm that Angel still had around Buffy's waist.

"Sure did" Buffy answered in the same tone.

"So any sign of evilness?" Pike asked, in an attempt to keep his girlfriend from embarrassing Buffy. He knew that she was feeling very proud of herself for being right about their friends, but he wasn't going to let her rub it in.

"Nothing so for, but you..." The rest of Angels answer was lost in the sound of shattering glass.

They all whirled around as the gym began to flood with vampires. Gunn who had been on the other side, quickly crossed the room to join them. As he went, he yelled for the students to stay away from the windows and doors.

"Looks like they want to party after all," he said upon arrival.

"Good thing we're ready for them," Buffy responded as she grabbed the bag of stakes that they had stashed under a nearby table. She quickly opened it and began to distribute it's contents. Once armed, the five of them spread out, trying to form a barrier between the students and the vampires.

As the battle lines were drawn, both groups simply stared at one another. Then, as if acting on some sort of signal, the vampires attacked.

Most seemed to focus mainly on Buffy and Angel, as if the considered them to be the biggest threat. This idea worked against the vampires, however, because it left them open to attack from the other three teenagers. Therefore, many had to leave the main battle in order to protect themselves.

Though they were outnumbered, Buffy and Angel were holding their own. The stood in the middle of the group, back to back, both completely trusting the other to protect them. When the numbers finally began to lessen, they began to move away from one another, still making an effort to keep the intruders away from the students who where all huddled together in one corner of the room.

Angel had just staked his latest victim, when he saw Gunn get tackled from behind. Running in his friends direction, Angel kicked the unsuspecting vampires feet out from under him. Dazed from his fall the vampire only had time to growl before Angel's stake once again found it's mark. Gunn quickly picked himself up from the floor and turned to thank his savior, but before he could say anything, Angel was hit from behind.

Game face surfacing out of reflex, Angel shook off his disorientation and punched his attacker squarely in the face. A mystified Gunn watched as the man he knew to be his friend continued to pummel his opponent. He could do nothing but stare at the ridges than now disfigured his friends face.

As the dust of his latest conquest settled, Angel slowly turned to face his young friend, fully expecting to see horror and hatred written on his face. Because of this, he was surprised when Gunn simply shook his head and turned back to the battle, calling over his shoulder, "Man, you have got a lot of explaining to do."

Before he could stop himself Angel laughed in relief, "You got it."

He was just about to go after a near by vamp, when he felt power roll over him. As if everyone else also felt it, all activity in the gym ground to halt and they all turned to face the being that had just entered the gym.

He was a tall, regal looking man with pale skin and black hair, wearing an expensive looking suit. To top it all off, his shoulders were covered by a flowing black cape. He simply stood in the door way for a moment, but after giving the assembled crowd a once over, his gaze turned to Buffy and Angel who had moved to stand side by side in front of him.

"So you are the little girl who has been causing me so much trouble. And Angelus, I expected so much more from someone with your potential. Are you really turned so easily by a pretty face?"

"As opposed to yours?" Angel shot back.

Lothos chuckled and turned back to Buffy, "You have a date with destiny, little girl."

"Yeah well, destiny's a bitch, so I think I'll pass," she returned, and without pausing, attacked. Angel tried to follow her but was quickly swamped by Lothos's remaining minions.

As Buffy moved towards him, Lothos reaching inside his cape and pulled out a very dangerous looking sword.

"Do you really need that bid old thing for little old me?" Buffy taunted.

Lothos laughed in return, "This will get the job done quicker. I have no more time to waste on you."

"Too bad," Buffy replied, before throwing a complicated series of punches and kicks at him.

Thus began their battle. Buffy would dart forward and attack him, then jump away before he could inflict any major damage. This tactic kept her fairly safe, but was quickly tiring her out. After several minutes of this, he was finally able to catch her off guard and knock her to the floor. She quickly tried to climb to her feet, but found that sword at her throat made it impossible. Looking down at the slayer, he laughed at his easy victory.

"Say goodbye, Slayer," he said as he drew the sword back to deliver his final blow.

"BUFFY!" Angel yelled, finally free of the minions. When she looked at him he hurled a something in her direction.

Lothos who had been distracted by Angels call, never saw Buffy's hand shoot out to catch the stake, therefore the fatal strike to his heart was something that he never saw coming. Shock was the only thing that could be seen on his face as he began to crumble to dust.

Running to her side, Angel wrapped Buffy into a crushing hug. After a few moments he pulled back and asked, "Are you ok?"

She nodded, "Yeah you?"

"Yeah," he responded before pulling her close.

This kiss was different from the others they had shared. There was no shyness in it, only the emotions that neither could find the words to express, the main one being happiness at the fact that they were still together.

Once they finally separated, they found themselves looking directly into the relieved and happy faces of their friends.

"Everybody in one piece?" Buffy asked as she placed her head on Angel's chest, still holding him close.

The three teenagers looked at one another before nodding.

"What now?" Alonna asked.

Angel looked down at Buffy, then said, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired. Lets go home."

Everyone laughed and then moved towards the exits, glad that they would be able to see the next day. Part 7

Buffy sat in Geometry class staring at the board and trying her best to pay attention. This was made difficult by the fact that math was the last thing on her mind. When a folded up piece of paper landed in front of her, she gave up trying and opened the note.

~So you decided to stay in LA~ Alonna's perfect script questioned.

Completely zoning out her class, Buffy replied, *Yes, I told Mom and Dad this last night.* Making sure that the teacher wasn't looking, she quickly sent the note back to her friend.

When it came back to her, she sighed when she read, ~Good, you'll be able to go to the dance on Saturday.~

*I don't know if I'll go. It's not like I have a date or anything,* was her reply.

~I bet Angel would go with you if you asked him~ Alonna countered.

*I don't think so.*

~Why?~

Buffy thought about her response. Why didn't she want to ask Angel to go with her to the dance? Also, and possibly more importantly, why hadn't she told Alonna about her possible romance with Angel?

The truth was that she was very confused about where things stood between herself and Angel. For months now, he had been her friend, possibly the best friend she had ever had. Now she didn't know what her was to her and that scared her.

When they were together, they usually laughed and talked, but now she had no clue how she was supposed to act around him. She had finally gotten what she wanted and had waited for, but she didn't know where they were supposed to go. Did he really want them to be a couple? Would he want to do something like go to a dance with her?

Deciding not to go into all of that, Buffy pushed the thoughts aside and simply wrote, *Just because.* Decided to change the subject she wrote, *Remind me to tell the guys that we all need to meet at Angel's after school. He has some news about Lothos.*

As she finished reading Buffy's statement, Alonna noticed that the teacher was watching her closely. Quickly stuffing the note inside of her book, she merely nodded at Buffy, then both girls turned there attention back to math.

~~~~~

"So what's the news on our resident big bad?" Pike asked as the all settled into their seats. Over the weeks since their initial meeting, Angel's apartment had become the official meeting place for Buffy's 'gang'. Therefore, they had all gone there after school to find out what Angel had discovered.

"Well I've talked to some of my contacts and they all say the same thing." Angel answered, then looked at Buffy, "You've been causing serious to damage to Lothos' numbers. It looks like he is planning something in retaliation. The best I can tell, it's set for Saturday."

"Saturday," Alonna questioned quickly.

"Do you think he would try something at the dance?" Gunn asked, directing his question towards Angel.

Angel in turn, looked at Buffy, "What dance?"

"There's a dance at the school Saturday night," she answered. "Would he try it?"

He considered this for a moment before nodding his head, "That sounds like Lothos, he likes to make a scene."

"I guess we all need to be there then," Buffy sighed in resignation. She really hadn't planned on attending.

"That's not a problem, we're all students, but how's Angel going to get in?" Alonna asked innocently and shot Buffy a look.

At this, Buffy sighed again. A forced date was not exactly what she had been looking for. "Well, I don't have a date, you can come with me," she said to Angel.

"Ok," Angel answered, but not without noticing Buffy's reluctance.

While the others continued to talk, Buffy slowly approached Angel. After a moment she said, "If nothing happens, you don't have to stay. I mean being at a school dance probably isn't your idea of a great time."

Suddenly her attitude made sense to him. When Gunn had first mentioned the dance, Angel had wondered why Buffy hadn't mentioned it to him; she was usually so excited about that kind of thing. Now he knew why. She didn't think he would want to go with her.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and nothing will happen." He smiled as she tried to cover her hurt expression, "Then we can spend the whole time dancing."

A wide smile split her face as said, "Yeah, maybe."

From then on, all spare time was spent training and readying themselves for what could possibly be the battle of their lives.

Things between Buffy and Angel were more relaxed, but they hadn't been able to find enough time alone to discuss their relationship. The remaining tension was making them both edgy and feeling as if it would never end.

Finally thought, the night of the dance did arrive. The theme of the dance was 'Fairy Magic' and the gym was decorated accordingly. Everything was done in glitter covered pinks and blues, which sparked under the lights. Puffy clouds hung from the ceiling, giving the entire room a 'floating in the sky' atmosphere.

Being in the room was like being inside a dream and slowly Buffy discovered that she was enjoying herself. She was actually having a great time, having danced with Angel, Gunn, and Pike.

After one of these dances, she announced that she was going to get some punch. Just as she was about to return to her friends, she was approached by Tyler and Jennifer.

"Buffy, it's so good to see you," Jennifer said with false sincerity

"I bet," Buffy replied, giving her a half smile.

"I am!," Jennifer insisted. "I didn't think you were going to come, it's so embarrassing to show up stag."

At this comment, Buffy had to laugh, "I wouldn't know, I'm not here alone."

"Oh so who did you pay to bring you," Tyler asked, speaking up for the first time.

"I don't need this," she sighed and turned to leave, causing her to run squarely into Angel's broad chest.

"Hey, I was wondering what happened to you," he commented.

"Sorry, I just ran into some *friends, * Tyler and Jennifer," she introduced.

Angel glanced at the two people standing nearby and quickly recognized them as her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend. "Hi," he said. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm going to steal her away for a dance."

Without waiting for their response, Angel grabbed Buffy's hand and pulled her onto the dance floor. As they began to sway to the music, Buffy said, "Thanks."

"Anytime," he replied. "You ok?"

"I'm perfect,” she answered as she snuggled deeper into his embrace.

"You know, this does seem perfect, except for one thing," Angel said after a moment.

Buffy looked up and was about to question him when his lips captured hers in a gentle kiss. Pulling back slightly, he smiled, "Now it's perfect."

"You're right," she agreed. Then, without hesitating, she pulled him into another kiss.

As the song ended they broke apart and slowly moved off the dance floor toward Pike and Alonna. They were both fully aware that their friend were not oblivious to the kissing session that had happened on the dance floor, but they were going to play it cool.

"Have a nice dance?" Alonna questioned, eyeing the arm that Angel still had around Buffy's waist.

"Sure did" Buffy answered in the same tone.

"So any sign of evilness?" Pike asked, in an attempt to keep his girlfriend from embarrassing Buffy. He knew that she was feeling very proud of herself for being right about their friends, but he wasn't going to let her rub it in.

"Nothing so for, but you..." The rest of Angels answer was lost in the sound of shattering glass.

They all whirled around as the gym began to flood with vampires. Gunn who had been on the other side, quickly crossed the room to join them. As he went, he yelled for the students to stay away from the windows and doors.

"Looks like they want to party after all," he said upon arrival.

"Good thing we're ready for them," Buffy responded as she grabbed the bag of stakes that they had stashed under a nearby table. She quickly opened it and began to distribute it's contents. Once armed, the five of them spread out, trying to form a barrier between the students and the vampires.

As the battle lines were drawn, both groups simply stared at one another. Then, as if acting on some sort of signal, the vampires attacked.

Most seemed to focus mainly on Buffy and Angel, as if the considered them to be the biggest threat. This idea worked against the vampires, however, because it left them open to attack from the other three teenagers. Therefore, many had to leave the main battle in order to protect themselves.

Though they were outnumbered, Buffy and Angel were holding their own. The stood in the middle of the group, back to back, both completely trusting the other to protect them. When the numbers finally began to lessen, they began to move away from one another, still making an effort to keep the intruders away from the students who where all huddled together in one corner of the room.

Angel had just staked his latest victim, when he saw Gunn get tackled from behind. Running in his friend’s direction, Angel kicked the unsuspecting vampires feet out from under him. Dazed from his fall the vampire only had time to growl before Angel's stake once again found it's mark. Gunn quickly picked himself up from the floor and turned to thank his savior, but before he could say anything, Angel was hit from behind.

Game face surfacing out of reflex, Angel shook off his disorientation and punched his attacker squarely in the face. A mystified Gunn watched as the man he knew to be his friend continued to pummel his opponent. He could do nothing but stare at the ridges than now disfigured his friends face.

As the dust of his latest conquest settled, Angel slowly turned to face his young friend, fully expecting to see horror and hatred written on his face. Because of this, he was surprised when Gunn simply shook his head and turned back to the battle, calling over his shoulder, "Man, you have got a lot of explaining to do."

Before he could stop himself Angel laughed in relief, "You got it."

He was just about to go after a near by vamp, when he felt power roll over him. As if everyone else also felt it, all activity in the gym ground to halt and they all turned to face the being that had just entered the gym.

He was a tall, regal looking man with pale skin and black hair, wearing an expensive looking suit. To top it all off, his shoulders were covered by a flowing black cape. He simply stood in the door way for a moment, but after giving the assembled crowd a once over, his gaze turned to Buffy and Angel who had moved to stand side by side in front of him.

"So you are the little girl who has been causing me so much trouble. And Angelus, I expected so much more from someone with your potential. Are you really turned so easily by a pretty face?"

"As opposed to yours?" Angel shot back.

Lothos chuckled and turned back to Buffy, "You have a date with destiny, little girl."

"Yeah well, destiny's a bitch, so I think I'll pass," she returned, and without pausing, attacked. Angel tried to follow her but was quickly swamped by Lothos's remaining minions.

As Buffy moved towards him, Lothos reaching inside his cape and pulled out a very dangerous looking sword.

"Do you really need that bid old thing for little old me?" Buffy taunted.

Lothos laughed in return, "This will get the job done quicker. I have no more time to waste on you."

"Too bad," Buffy replied, before throwing a complicated series of punches and kicks at him.

Thus began their battle. Buffy would dart forward and attack him, then jump away before he could inflict any major damage. This tactic kept her fairly safe, but was quickly tiring her out. After several minutes of this, he was finally able to catch her off guard and knock her to the floor. She quickly tried to climb to her feet, but found that sword at her throat made it impossible. Looking down at the slayer, he laughed at his easy victory.

"Say goodbye, Slayer," he said as he drew the sword back to deliver his final blow.

"BUFFY!" Angel yelled, finally free of the minions. When she looked at him he hurled a something in her direction.

Lothos who had been distracted by Angels call, never saw Buffy's hand shoot out to catch the stake, therefore the fatal strike to his heart was something that he never saw coming. Shock was the only thing that could be seen on his face as he began to crumble to dust.

Running to her side, Angel wrapped Buffy into a crushing hug. After a few moments he pulled back and asked, "Are you ok?"

She nodded, "Yeah you?"

"Yeah," he responded before pulling her close.

This kiss was different from the others they had shared. There was no shyness in it, only the emotions that neither could find the words to express, the main one being happiness at the fact that they were still together.

Once they finally separated, they found themselves looking directly into the relieved and happy faces of their friends.

"Everybody in one piece?" Buffy asked as she placed her head on Angel's chest, still holding him close.

The three teenagers looked at one another before nodding.

"What now?" Alonna asked.

Angel looked down at Buffy, and then said, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired. Lets go home."

Everyone laughed and then moved towards the exits, glad that they would be able to see the next day.

EPILOGUE

Angel couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face as he moved around his kitchen. Sometimes he still had trouble believing all of the changes that he had been through in the last year. He had never been this happy before, not since the curse anyway, and had never believed that it would happen, but that was exactly what had occurred. He had never counted on having the things that now seemed normal, but then again, he had never counted on Buffy.

Their lives had been going fairly well since the night of the dance. Buffy had, of course, been reported to the authorities for participating in the 'riots.' She had been worried when the police started asking her question. She didn’t know how to explain and she wasn’t sure how to respond. Luckily, Angel had a friend on the police force that knew about demons and the undead, so after an explanation, the matter had been dropped fairly quickly.

The other members of their group had also accepted his ‘little difference’ with relative ease. Angel couldn’t help but laugh as he remembered their reaction. Pike and Alonna had reacting much the same way as Gunn, had simply asked for an explanation. Once all of their questions were answered, the subject had been dropped and since then it had hardly been mentioned.--except for the occasion joke at his expense.

His relationship with Buffy was also going well. They were taking things slowly for many reasons, the foremost being her young age and the fact that he hadn't been in a real relationship in over 200 years. Even so, he felt like he had never been without her and he didn’t know how he had made it all those years without her in his life. She had quickly become someone he couldn’t live without. Their relationship wasn't always easy, but so far, they had managed.

The sound of his front door opening broke Angel from his revere. Knowing immediately who it was, Angel quickly moved into the main room, purposely blocking the view into the kitchen. He didn’t want his surprise to be ruined.

"Hey," Buffy said, flashing him a huge smile as soon as he entered the room

"Hey Baby," he replied.

They quickly met in the middle of the room, for a hello kiss. It was a short interlude, but still managed to convey the joy that each felt at being together again.

"I missed you," Angel said, once they had broken apart.

“Me too,” she replied happily.

Buffy had managed to adjust fairly well to the idea that her parents were getting divorced. The idea still made her sad, but she knew that it was the best solution for everyone involved. She, of course, missed having her mother around, but she went to Sunnydale one weekend out of every month so that they could spend time together.

“How was the weekend with your mom?”

"We didn’t do anything exciting, but it was still fun. The only thing that we did was go shopping and then we rented movies, it was a total mother/daughter bonding experience.” After a pause, she continued, “You know, I think we know each other better now that we don't live together than we did before.”

“I’m glad that the two of you had fun, you don't get to see each other often enough.”

“I know,” Buffy sighed, “I miss her. Why did she have to move to the stupid old Hellmouth anyway?”

“I don't know,” Angel said. “Since you brought it up, how were things there?”

Buffy made a face at his question, “It seemed to be picking up and I think something is happening. I saw way more vamps than I normally do when I’m there.”

Angel nodded, “I'll ask around and see if anyone’s heard anything. If it’s anything major, someone should know something about it.”

“Someone knows something? That sounds definite,” Buffy laughed. “How about you? Did you guys have any big badness while I was gone?”

“No, it was all clear,” he replied. “We ran across a few random fledglings, but nothing serious”.

“Good,” Buffy said. “On that happy note, should we head out for patrol?”

“I thought we would skip it tonight," he replied as he grasped her hand and started pulling her towards the kitchen.

"Skip? Wh....,” Buffy started, but cut her sentence short as she took in the scene before her.

Kitchen was dark, lit only by two candles standing in the center of the table. There were two place settings and several steaming dishes placed on the table. Surveying them, Buffy realized that she didn’t recognize the cuisine, yet she knew from experience that she would like it. Angel was a great cook.

"What's all this?" she asked innocently, yet she was smiling because she already knew the reason behind his surprise feast.

Handing her a single long stemmed rose, he said, "I'm celebrating"

"You are? Celebrating what?"

"The night that changed my life forever," he answered quietly

Buffy smiled, "I wasn't sure that you remembered."

"Of course I remember,” Angel said, “A man does not forget the night her meets his destiny.”

Unable to stand being apart from him for one more second, Buffy moved closer and caught his lips in a gentle kiss. Things didn’t remain that way for long however and quickly began to heat up. Before things got too far out of hand, Angel pulled back.

Their foreheads still touching, Angel said, “The food’s going to get cold.”

His words brought back the memory of the wonderful dishes he had created. As she noticed the wonderful smell that was permeating the kitchen, her hunger made itself known as her stomach growled loudly.

Laughing, Buffy said, “That would be a waste.”

She started moving towards the table, but was stopped by Angel as he made a great show of pulling out her seat. As she laughed at his antics, Angel moved to the table and began to fill her plate. Upon taking the first bite, Buffy realized that her prediction was correct; it was delicious.

As their meal progress, they settled into the comfortable chatter that all couples share. There was none of their usual ‘shop talk’, no talk of demon or vampires. The conversation was relaxed and filled with the laughter and light-heartedness that was so often absent because of the lifestyle that they led. As their meal drew to a close, Buffy caught Angel’s eye across the table.

“Thank you, Angel, this has been the best night that I’ve ever had,” she said sincerely.

Smiling, Angel said, “It’s not over yet.”

Standing, Angel walked out of her view. After a moment, Buffy heard soft music coming from the other room. He returned quickly and stopped directly in front of her chair.

“Will you dance with me,” he asked, holding out his hand.

Accepting the offered hand, Buffy replied, “I would love to.”

Slowly they came together and began to sway to the gentle sounds. Placing her head upon his chest, Buffy relaxed into her love’s embrace. After a few moments, she felt Angel’s arms tighten around her waist. When she lifted her head she found that Angel was her intently.

When she looked into his eyes, Angel knew that he could wait any longer to share his feelings. This was the right time.

“Buffy…,” he said, but then found he could say no more. The words seemed to be stuck in throat.

“Angel,” she asked giving him a quizzical look.

"I…I love you."

Buffy looked stunned for a moment and the quickly lowered her eyes. Her reaction made Angel think that maybe he had moved to fast. He was about apologize and tell her that he hadn’t meant to push, when she but then she raised her head to look at him once more. All of his apologies died on his lips when he saw her eyes. They were glistening with unshed tears, but the smile that was spread across her face told that they were tears of joy.

“I love you, too,” she whispered.

Angel couldn’t contain his response to her whispered words and quickly covered her trembling lips with his own. Their kiss was simple, sweet, a physical expression of the words they had exchanged. After a moment that seemed to last forever, they pulled apart. However, when they saw the love shining in one another’s eyes, the space between them closed once more.

This kiss was different, more powerful and more passionate. Soon, though the music still played, the couple had stopped moving to it and were instead dancing to a different song.

Never breaking apart, their hands started to explore each other in a way that they had never done before. Every touch brought a new sensation. As the kiss continued, gaining more intensity, the two of them became bolder, enjoying the reactions that each was causing the in other.

Finally regaining some of his control momentarily, Angel pulled away and was surprised to find that they had moved from the kitchen and were now standing in the doorway to his bedroom.

Trying to overcome the confusion brought on by his sudden desertion caused, Buffy gazed up at him through passion filled eyes and tried to discover what made him stop. When she saw that he was simply look down into her face, she gently tried to get him to continue on into the room.

Certain that once he stepped into his bedroom, all of his hard won control would desert him, Angel resisted. He had to make sure that this was what Buffy truly wanted.

“Buffy, are you sure,” he asked quietly.

“Angel…”

“If you want to stop…”

He was cut off by the finger that she placed across his lips. Once she was certain that she had his attention, she tightened her arms around his neck and pulled him to her once more.

When they were a breath apart, she whispered, “I’m very sure.”

As soon as she saw the acceptance in his eyes, she pushed him using her slayer strength, causing him to stumble into the room. Not willing to let go of his love, Angel brought her with him and they ended up one giant, laughing mass of tangled limbs that landed on the end of the bed.

However, their merriment was short lived and quickly replace, once more, by passion.

After Angel had gently moved Buffy farther onto the bed, they slowly began to undressed one other. When she found herself nude and open to his perusal, Buffy found herself becoming shy. She had never been in this position before and wasn’t exactly sure how she was supposed to act. Not sure how to proceed, Buffy lowered her eyes, she didn’t want Angel to be disappointed.

Sensing the she was feeling insecure, he gently pulled the arms that she was trying to cover herself with away. Then, placing his hand under her chin, she raised her head until she was once more looking into his eyes.

The look she found there as he perused her body, gave her some encouragement and the appreciation and love that she could see, made her forget all of her insecurities. The only thing that she could focus on was Angel and how very much she loved him.

They took their time, Angel introducing her to all of the aspects of this new experience. With every touch and gentle whisper he made her feel more and more loved. When at last they came together, both had the sense of coming home.

Lying together in the aftermath of their lovemaking, Angel simply gazed at the love of his life. As she snuggled closer into his embrace, he knew that this was right. This was how he was meant to spend his life. This was perfect happiness.

His thoughts were interrupted by a small laugh from the girl in his arms.

“What’s so funny,” he asked.

“Nothing, I just can’t believe that I’ve only know you for one year. It seems like you’ve always been a part of my life,” she replied.

With a laugh of his own, he asked, “Are you happy about this?”

Rising up onto her elbow, Buffy lightly slapped his chest with her other hand, “Of course I’m happy.”

“Me too,” he said.

Buffy was overjoyed to see that he was telling the truth. So often in the year that she had known him, she had seen the guilt that he tried to cover. She knew that those things weren’t his fault, but she also knew that that fact didn’t always make a difference. Tonight, however, there was no sign of it in his eyes. All she could see was his love, his love for her.

Leaning forward, Buffy placed a quick kiss on his lips, “Happy anniversary, Angel.”

“I love you,” he replied.

“I love you, too, My Angel,” she said before being pulled into her love’s tight embrace once more.

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