by Mace

Angel'd been recuperating from a massive chest wound and other injuries for about a week, when he decided to visit her and Dru (secretly of course). He knew from what Buffy had said that she and Dru came in around three-ish. So, at three-fifteen, Angel set off to see the once-insane vampiress and the vampire Slayer. Good thing too . . .

The lights were on downstairs and someone was walking in front of the window. Smoking a cigarette? Angel walked slowly up the steps and to the front door.

". . . So, since Drusilla is now a lap dog, too, I figured the deal was null and void. And since you were gracious enough to invite me into your home, I thought I should take you up on the offer," he heard.

<>

"Angelus would have started with your mother," Spike said. "But I'm more of a believer in cutting right to the chase."

"Spike, don't do this," Dru said.

"Sorry, ducks," Spike said.

Angel burst through the front door, vamped out, and tackled him to the ground. Dru took the opportunity to pull the stake aimed at her heart out of the hands of the newby-vamp and stabbed him in the heart. Buffy grabbed the one that had her mother and quickly dispatched him.

"What in the bloody hell? Angelus?" Spike asked, getting to his feet.

"Surprise, Spike. Just Angel," Angel said, punching at Spike's vamped face.

Spike lunged at Angel. Angel kicked him off. Buffy tossed Angel a stake, and with that, the great William the Bloody was ashes all over Joyce's livingroom.

"Thanks," Buffy said.

"No problem. Kinda enjoyed it, myself," Angel replied.

"Uh- hi, Misses Summers, Drusilla," Angel said.

Joyce smiled and nodded somewhat confusedly. Surprised her daughter wasn't jumping for joy Angel was out of Hell.

"Hey, Angel. It's just Dru now. You're looking well for someone who's been in Hell for eight months," Dru said.

"Can I ask what's going on?" Joyce asked, finding her voice.

"Well . . ." Dru said, "it's a rather interesting story."

"I think I'd like to hear it," Joyce said, eying the man that had slept with her barely seventeen-year-old daughter.

Buffy was having the greatest amount of trouble not jumping into Angel's arms, but she restrained herself . . . much to the relief of Angel. He, too, wanted to kiss her, but not in front of the scrutinizing eyes of Joyce Summers. Dru thought the scene was kind of amusing in an *sardonic-old-lady-kind-of-way*.

Dru walked left the house shortly before Angel. She liked being out. It was the only time she could be. Buffy showed Angel to the door as Buffy's mother started to ascend the stairs. She fell into his arms. He held her tightly.

"Thank you for being there again to save my life," Buffy said.

"Your mother's still standing there," he whispered in her ear.

"I know," she said.

She leaned over and kissed him fully on the lips. He responded, reluctantly at first, but eventually pulled her up to him. He broke the kiss and he her for a second, just glad to get to hold her. Buffy sighed into his shoulder. He stroked her back softly for a few seconds. Angel kissed the top of her head and pulled away.

"I love you," he whispered as he breezed away.

"Love you, too," she managed to say.

Angel showed up at the Bronze that night alone. He and Buffy had decided that they shouldn't wait outside. Eventually, word would get out that Spike was dead, whether they knew it was Angel or not.

"Guys . . ." Cordelia whispered.

"What?" Xander asked.

"Am I just seeing things, or is that Angel sitting over there?" she asked.

Willow, Oz, and Xander looked over to where Cordy was nodding. Each one looked hard at him for a moment before looking back.

"It *looks* like Angel, but . . ." Willow trailed off.

"He's supposed to be in Hell," Oz finished.

"How long ya think he's been back?" Xander asked. "And why doesn't Buffy know?"

"Who says she doesn't?" Willow asked.

"What'd ya mean, Will?" Oz asked.

"Well, Buffy's been really happy since her birthday. That and they're kissing," Willow said.

Everyone turned around to see the vampire and Slayer breaking away from a kiss. Angel took her hand and led her onto the dance floor where they danced to a slow song. They were always in constant contact with each other. Angel slid his hands up her back and stroked it lightly.

"Feels like we're intruding," Oz said.

"Yeah," everyone agreed, not taking their eyes off the star-crossed couple.

"Why do you think she didn't tell us?" Cordy asked, still staring.

"What was she supposed to say? 'By the way, guys, Angel's outta Hell. How was your day?'" Willow asked.

"She probably didn't know how we'd react," Oz said.

"Yeah. I guess they're okay though," Xander said as they swayed to the music.

Angel leaned down and kissed Buffy, drawing other attention to the couple. Teenagers seem to pick up on that kind of stuff. All the girls wondered who this incredibly handsome guy was that was kissing Buffy Summers. *No one* had remembered Buffy dating anyone. Buffy smiled through the kiss at Angel.

"What are you smiling at?" Angel whispered as he broke the kiss.

"All the girls in the Bronze are wondering who you are and how I managed to snag you," Buffy said.

"Jealous?" Angel asked.

"Nope," Buffy said.

"What? Slayers don't get jealous?"

"You always have to bring up the Slayer-thing don't you?" Buffy asked as they both recalled their conversation shortly after Buffy's Sexy-Dance with Xander.

Both laughed at the reversal of their earlier conversation.

"Your friends are watching us too," Angel said, swaying to the music.

"Oh?" she asked, not caring.

"They haven't attacked me with pitchforks and flaming torches, so I think they're either too stunned to move or enjoying the show," Angel said.

"Uh-huh," Buffy whispered.

"You aren't about to go to sleep, are you?" Angel asked. "I coulda sworn I was more exciting than that."

"No," Buffy said. "I'm just relaxing. I don't get to do that very often, you know? Gotta be ready for an army of vampires or a flesh-eating zombie."

"So you're relaxed?" Angel whispered.

"Yeah, I'd say so," Buffy said.

"Good," Angel said.

"You wanna go for a walk?" Buffy asked.

"You don't wanna explain to your friends what I'm doing out of Hell?" Angel asked, though he was not opposed to leaving.

"They'll figure it out sooner or later. I can tell them when the sun rises. Night's the only time we can both go for a walk," Buffy said.

"Okay," Angel said as they left.

"What do you think they're going to do?" Xander asked, smiling evilly.

"Xander!" Willow and Cordelia said, swatting him.

Angel and Buffy ended up in the park, sitting on a bench. Angel's arms were wrapped around her. The only sound was the light sound of Buffy's breathing and the wind in the trees. Buffy leaned into Angel.

"How do you feel?" Angel asked.

"Relaxed. At peace," Buffy said.

Angel looked up at the sky and would have caught his breath at the sight. A full moon loomed in the distance. Angel thought back to the Bronze. . . . <> He put both hands on the sides of her face and made her look up at him. He looked . . . remorseful. What she saw made her sad and worried.

"Wh- what's wrong?" Buffy asked.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. They did this to me," Angel said.

"Angel?"

Angel pressed his lips to Buffy's, silencing any questions she might have. Buffy put her hands around Angel's neck, leaning into the kiss, as Angel's arms slid under her leather jacket and around her waist. She felt a tear touch her cheek that she knew was not hers. Buffy opened her eyes and looked at Angel, not bothering to brush *his* tear away.

"I love you, Angel," she whispered.

He picked up her wrist and placed a kiss on the beating pulse-point.

"I love you . . ."

" . . . . I love you. . . ." she heard as she shot up from her bed.

Buffy looked around the cheap motel room and pain shot through her heart and soul. <> She looked down at her wrist and felt the slightly damp moisture from a kiss. Her hand brushed up to her face and caught the tear that had remained there. Buffy wiped the tear on the Claddagh ring and began shedding her own. She buried her head in the pillow and cried throat burning, chest-aching sobs.

I know. This was a terrible way to end a fanfic. Not like the other ones I've ended. I'm a bad, bad person. If you want a sequel, because I will probably only write one if you ask, you'd better send feedback. Don't think someone else will because few fanfic writers I've talked to get feedback.

ONLY YOU CAN SEND FEEDBACK . . . OR IS THAT FORREST FIRES?

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