"So, is this a normal birthday for a Slayer?" Joyce asked around one a.m. She, Willow and Buffy were having an impromptu girls-night sleepover type thing. Buffy had called Will as soon as Giles dropped her off. She needed to be able to confide in someone that wasn't her mother. She and Willow had had their first heart-to-heart in awhile while Joyce cooked. (She'd insisted on making French fries - Buffy's favorite.) She'd told her everything about Giles, because Giles himself had given her mother his version when he'd brought Buffy home. She was an emotional wreck on what was supposed to be a great day. "Remember what Oz said about turning eighteen," Willow had said. "You're still the normal you. It just means you can get into better clubs with your real ID instead of a fake one." "There is no normal when you're a Slayer," Buffy decided. She took the last fry, dipping it in cinnamon sugar before eating it. Willow shuddered. "I swear, that is the most disgusting habit I have ever seen." "Buffy's done that since she was a little girl," Joyce commented. "Wanna watch a movie?" Buffy asked, wanting to take all attention off herself and her past. Everytime her mother started to reminisce, the pictures would come out, and last thing Buffy wanted Willow to see was pictures of her with a sunburn or a droopy diaper. "I rented Can't Hardly Wait, that new one with the girl from Party of Five." "What is her name?" Willow asked. "It's gonna drive me nuts." "I can never remember it, either," Joyce said as she pulled the bowl of popcorn over into her lap. "I know she has three names though." "Amanda something?" Buffy guessed. Willow shrugged. "Put it in. The one guy in it reminds me of Oz." For the next hour, Buffy and Willow laughed and commented at the movie. Joyce had conked out on the floor before the opening credits had even finished. "I swear, he looks like Oz, look." Willow pointed to the screen. "I guess, if you lighten the hair," Buffy shrugged. She yawned and pulled her pillow under her head. "If I fall asleep, tell me the end." "We can stop it," Willow offered. "You go ahead," Buffy told her. "Good night." "'Night Buffy. Happy Birthday." Buffy snorted, but she smiled. She fell into a deep sleep and began to see all the people she loved floating around her. Her mother, Giles, Willow, Xander, Oz, even Cordelia, and Angel. They were just sort of dancing in air. She laughed when she noticed that Willow had a hold of Xander with one hand, Oz with the other. Angel floated past her again, stopping in front of her. All of a sudden, the others were gone and he was gently touching her hair. He was smiling at her, and when she reached for him, she felt as though all of a sudden she was floating along with him. The next thing she knew, they were in his lair just as they had been the night before. She rolled on top of him, straddling him and threatened him with the stake. She smiled. "Gotcha." "Other way around," he remarked, a hint of Angelus in his voice. He flipped her over and tossed the stake aside. He began tearing at her clothing with his hands and his teeth. "Angel--" his cold hand brushed against her stomach and she felt a shiver run up and down her back. "Shhhh," he began kissing down her neck. "It's your birthday." She tried to fight the urge to breathe heavily and tear at his clothing until he were lying on top of her buck naked. "But.....it'd be......our....anniversary......I can't....the curse...." she was having trouble talking. His hands were running up and down her back, playing with the hook to her bra. He stopped kissing and looked her in the eyes. "Do you love me?" She almost rolled her eyes. "Of course I do." "Then that's all that matters." he kissed her lips hard, and Buffy gave into her desires. They began making love, their bodies moving together as one. Out of nowhere, she heard music. She had no idea where it was coming from - Angel didn't have a stereo and she couldn't imagine there being one anywhere nearby. It seemed to get louder and she heard the words as Angel kissed her belly and licked inside her belly button. She feels safe now In this bar on Fairifax And from the stage I can tell That she can't let go And she can't relax And just before she hangs her head To cry I sing to her, a lullaby Everything is gonna be all right Rockabye The words echoed in Buffy's head as Angel cupped her breasts in his hands. Her eyes met his and he smiled, kissing and biting at her lips before returning them to her neck. She was enjoying the silence around them, the only sound being their heavy breathing. Then, out of nowhere, the music began again. She still lives with her mom outside the city Down that street about a half a mile And all her friends tell her She's so pretty But she'd be a whole lot prettier If she smiled once in a while 'Cause even her smile Looks like a frown And she's seen her share of devils In this age old town. Right at that moment, as Angel was kissing her, Buffy felt his incisors turn to fangs. She ran her tongue across one of them, just playing with him, but he pulled away and she saw that he had turned into his Vampire likeness. She kept bumping and grinding, but he just kept looking at her. Finally, he rolled back over so that she was on top of him. She pulled him up and pressed her chest into his. They fell back against the floor together, and she rested her head on his chest, waiting impatiently to see what would happen next. She kept the stake in her reach, just in case. He'd drifted off for a minute, but he opened his eyes and saw Buffy was still lying there. "Buffy?" She looked up. His normal features had returned, and he was smiling at her. "Hi, lover." "Is that what I am now?" he asked, pulling her towards him. She planted kisses on his chest, neck, cheeks, lips. "If you want me," she whispered breathlessly. "I'm yours." He looked deeply into her eyes. "Wake up Buffy." She stirred awake and jumped when she saw that she was on her living room floor. Willow was next to her, sound asleep. Her mother was crashed on the couch, snoring. She was going to lay back down when she saw him. Angel. He was standing in the doorway, watching her. "Hi," she whispered. She stood up, not even remembering that she was wearing a see-through white tank top without a bra and tiny flannel boxers. She walked towards the kitchen and motioned for him to follow her. "I hope you don't mind that I came by. The front door was open." She smiled. "Not a good thing. I guess my mom sometimes forgets that "small town" doesn't mean "safe town"." "I found this in the street," he handed her the book he'd given her for her birthday. She took it and kissed it. "I thought it was gone forever." "I take it you passed." She stopped looking at him and fixed her gaze on the book. "You knew." "I knew they were going to do something, I didn't know what." "He went after my mother." "I'm sorry." "They fired Giles." "What?" he looked shocked. "Giles. Fired. No more Watcher." "I don't know what to say Buffy." "So don't say anything," she set the book on the counter and walked over to him. "Just hold me." He took her into his arms and held her tight. She buried her head into his chest and closed her eyes. Buffy was resisting the urge to pull his black shirt off when she remembered that sometimes her dreams were prophetic. She looked into his eyes and the next thing she knew, they were in her bed. It was morning and Angel was getting ready to leave before the sun rose. She smiled at the thought of her mother catching them. This, after all, was a normal birthday for the Slayer.
I swear, this'll be my last one!