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I Know You're Out There Somewhere


Pict by the wonderful Zo.

 

“Where’s Angel?”

 

“Lurking.” Cordelia replied without looking up from her magazine.

 

Wesley looked around their office as if trying to spot Angel in a corner or shadowed crevice.

 

“Not here,” Cordelia snorted, flipping the page and leaning back in her chair, all without looking at Wesley.

 

“No, of course not here.” Wesley gave a little laugh at such a thought, and now Cordelia did look up. To give him a scathing look.

 

“No, of course not here,” she mimicked in a really bad British accent. Sighing, she put her magazine down and stretched. “He’s in Sunnydale. Where he’s been for the past two weeks. Lurking.”

 

“Yes, about that. Can you tell me anything more on Doyle’s last vision?” Wesley inquired, sitting down, prepared to add to his already extensive, if not very informative, notes.

 

“Big bad. Big ugly bad,” Cordelia corrected herself. “Big ugly bad with bad skin and a poky thing in his arm.”

 

“Right or left?”

 

“I don’t know,” she said slowly. “It wasn’t my vision, Doyle didn’t say before he decided to be the big stupid hero and get himself killed, and the Powers,” she shouted the word, and glared at the ceiling, “Haven’t seen fit to send any more information on the matter.”

 

“Quite right,” Wesley agreed. “But I’m sure they have a reason for that.”

 

“Yes, I’m sure it’s a wonderful reason. Please, oh wise one. Tell us what that could possibly be.”

 

“Erm,” Wesley fumbled. “Well, I’m sure they have a reason.”

 

Snorting, Cordelia poured herself a glass of water. “I hope Angel calls soon. I want to know what he’s found out.”

 

“About the big ugly bad?” Wesley inquired. “Or about Buffy?”

 

“Buffy, of course. Damn, I wish I could see her face when she realizes he’s lurking again.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“What are you doing, Buffy?” Willow asked as her roommate went to their window again and looked out. Again. She’d been doing that a lot lately, the past week or so since returning from LA and her visit with Angel. Peering out the window as if she knew something was there. Or someone.

 

“Nothing.” She replied, as she always did. Grabbing her stake and a lightweight jacket, she added, “I’m going to patrol. I’ll be back later.”

 

Before Willow could say anything on Buffy’s abrupt exit, she was gone. “Curiouser and curiouser,” she mumbled.

 

Buffy led him to the edge of campus, past the main buildings, the administration ones, and the rest of the dorms. Past the frat houses where she’d met and killed that stupid snake. Considering her experience there, it was a wonder she’d gone to that party with Parker-the-poophead. Second mark on the ‘stay away from fraternities’ list. She really should learn her lesson.

 

Stopping once the coast was clear, once she was certain no one lingered nearby, Buffy slipped the stake into her pocket, and prepared herself. “I know you’re out there.”

 

“I wasn’t trying to disturb you.”

 

“We had this conversation already, Angel.” She sighed, the anger she knew she should probably feel nowhere to be found. He always did that to her. Damn him. “You don’t have to do anything. I just know where you are.”

 

“I…” he trailed off, and she turned to look at him, really see him for the first time since their none-too-pleasant encounter twelve days ago. Not that she was counting.

 

He looked tired. Weary. Worn down. Instant sympathy moved through her, followed by panic. Something was wrong. Closing the distance between them, Buffy took his hand in hers, squeezed the comforting coolness in support.

 

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

 

“Doyle’s dead.” Before she had the chance to ask the questions – how, when, where, who – he continued. “Died trying to save a bunch of half-breeds the Scourge wanted to destroy. Trying to cleanse the demon population of human contamination.”

 

Wrinkling her nose Buffy offered, “Ugh, swell. But I’m sorry. I know you were close.”

 

“Thanks.” He nodded, twined his fingers with hers in an automatic gesture, then seemed to realize what he’d just done, and released her hand. Caught the hurt look in her eyes and wanted to hold her until it was replaced with nothing but love.

 

“But that’s not why I came.”

 

“Not why you’ve been hiding in the shadows for days now?” Buffy asked, stepping back from him. Too close. She was too close to him. “Not why you’ve pulled the ‘I can’t see you but you can see me’ routine again?”

 

“Uh, no.”

 

“No what?”

 

“No, that’s not what I’m trying to do.” Clearing his throat, he imparted the information she’d waited days to hear. And apparently, he’d waited days to tell. “Doyle’s last vision…it was about you.”

 

Narrowing her eyes, not exactly what she’d thought he was going to tell her, Buffy asked, “Wasn’t that what the first vision was all about? Me. He saw me in danger; you flew to the stalking rescue, and never bothered to tell me?”

 

Caught, Angel nodded. “Something like that. Apparently, however, the Shumash wasn’t the danger.”

 

“He was when he turned into that stupid bear.” Buffy grumbled.

 

Smiling, Angel offered a small laugh. “Yeah. How’d that happen, anyway?”

 

“Knife. Magick. Spike…I don’t know. But I’m sure,” she nodded with conviction, “Spike had something to do with it.”

 

Chuckling in agreement Angel agreed. “That’s usually the case. Doyle’s vision…” his voice caught on his friend’s name, and Buffy took his hand again.

 

It was partly an excuse to touch him, God she missed his touch. But it was also in sympathy. It was hard losing someone you cared for. Considered a friend. Angel didn’t have many, she knew that. And to have one killed, line of duty or not, was one of the hardest things anyone went though.

 

“It was blurred, apparently it was a series of visions crammed into one.” Angel’s thumb ran over her knuckles, and Buffy shivered. Missed his touch? Starved for it, more likely. “First there was the evil Indian, then something with floating men who steal your voices, then commandos.”

 

“Check on the Indian – Native American – and on the commandos. Don’t know anything about the floaty men.”

 

“You know the commandos?” His voice was sharp, and he wasn’t letting her go this time. Or her hand at least. Hey, that was a start, right? And Buffy would take all she could get.

 

“I know about them, yes,” she nodded, sighed. She was so tired, hadn’t really been able to sleep in days. Since Angel started his lurking again. Before that, actually, and she knew it. Since…well, since he’d lost his soul. “I don’t know much else except they’re here, and they’ve got the demon population talking.”

 

“The demon population always talk,” Angel pointed out.

 

“Well, yes. But this is more than your normal gossip. Willy’s power-freaked; says word is that something big’s coming. But no one knows what. And other than these commandos, no one’s got anything. Except this 3-1-4 thing. I don’t know if the numbers are all together like 314, or separate on that one. Or what they’d mean either way. Plus, they did turn Spike into a harmless puppy.”

 

“Bet he’s thrilled with that,” but Angel was grinning over it.

 

“It’s actually a little sad,” Buffy shrugged. “But the opportunities for mocking are boundless.”

 

“Doyle’s vision,” Angel continued thoughtfully, “Showed a big ugly bad.” Buffy looked at him askance, and he smiled. “Cordelia’s words, not mine. Apparently, he had several demonic parts, but was also human. I don’t know what else to compare it to except Frankenstein’s Monster.”

 

Buffy scrunched her nose in revolt. “Wasn’t that the thing made out of all sorts of dead people’s parts? Didn’t I stop them a couple years ago?”

 

“Yes,” Angel nodded, smiled and it melted her heart to see that smile, the one she knew was reserved solely for her. She’d missed that more than she wanted to admit, and hated that he still affected her so. “Guess they don’t read those slayer reports, or they’d already know you defeated this one already.”

 

Buffy laughed. She couldn’t help it. “A joke. You have changed, Angel.”

 

“Not that much, no,” he shook his head. “I still love you.”

 

He hadn’t meant to say that. In fact, he hadn’t really meant to talk to her at all this time. Maybe his stealthy skills were lacking. Or maybe, as Cordelia insisted – often and loudly – when it came to Buffy, he couldn’t stay away. No matter how hard either of them tried. Considering the hell that was last year, they tried pretty hard.

 

“Angel,” she sighed, blinked away tears he never wanted to see in her eyes again.

 

“God, baby, I’m sorry. Don’t cry,” he tugged on her hand, pulled her into his arms and kissed away her tears. “I can’t stand it when you cry.”

 

“You’re the only one I cry over,” her admission was low, but he heard it clearly. Holding her tightly to him, Angel couldn’t think of anything to say to that. The only thing he could say wasn’t what he thought she’d want to hear.

 

“I hate that.” The words came out anyway. “I hate that I love you so much and only cause you pain. I never wanted that, Buffy. I only wanted you happy.”

 

“I know. But I was only ever happy with you.” Her voice was soft, firm, and Angel hated that, too. Hated that he was only ever happy with her, but they couldn’t be together.

 

“Well, there’s one more thing….”

~~~~~~~~~~

“I did?”

 

Willow blinked, trying to absorb everything she’d just heard in the last ten minutes, or lifetime, or so. She was awake now. Oh, yes, definitely awake. Confused, and she hoped it was sleep deprivation, but somehow doubted that.

 

“Are you sure?” Angel nodded. He stood next to the door, watching Buffy pace Giles’ living area. Her movements were jerky, quick, her eyes hopeful and agitated. “How do you know?”

 

“It was part two of the vision, apparently.” Giles was on the phone now, demanding Cordelia tell him everything she saw in her vision. Everything she could remember from Doyle’s…everything about everything, apparently. The clipped English tones told the gathered Scoobies that not much had changed with Queen C.

 

“The first one was about this monster, interspersed with things I think Buffy’s going to have to battle before then.”

 

“Just what I need,” she grumbled, but didn’t stop her movements around the room.

 

Xander shook his head. “Can I take this opportunity to say ew? A Frankenstein among us? What, we don’t have enough evil, they have to manufacture it? What is this world coming to?”

 

“The second vision,” Angel continued as everyone ignored Xander’s comments, even if they did agree with them. “Came after Doyle died. Why then, I don’t know. Nothing the Powers do makes any sense to me. Cordelia had it; it was one of her first ones.”

 

“And in this vision,” Willow recapped slowly. “She saw Ms. Calendar’s notes? And in these notes, the ridiculous clause was gone? Wiped? No more?” Angel nodded. “Why the hell did they wait so damn long?” Willow burst out, jerking everyone from their individual states – Xander bolted upright from where he’d been half listening and trying to stay awake, Giles stopped quizzing Cordelia, Buffy halted mid-stride, and Anya jerked awake.

 

“Did they think that in keeping it to themselves, it’d do something?” she waved her hands wildly. “That this secret was a good thing?”

 

Angel just shrugged, his eyes once more on Buffy’s. “Is it true, Willow?”

 

“I don’t know,” Willow shrugged, stood. “I’d have to go over the notes.” She moved towards Giles’ basement where she stored the box – the five Orbs of Thessula and the multiple printouts she’d made of the curse. Just in case. “But it was in Rumanian. I don’t speak Rumanian. I was just following the words.”

 

“Find out, Will,” Buffy said softly, moving to where Angel still stood. He took her hand, and they left without another word.

 

“Where are they going?” Xander demanded.

 

“I imagine,” Giles said slowly, “They’re off to test Cordelia’s vision.”

 

“Maybe you should hurry up on that research, Will,” Xander told her, eyes holding hers as everything they’d just learned sunk in.

~~~~~~~~~~

The slow walk back to Buffy’s dorm room was made in silence. Buffy clutched Angel’s hand, afraid to let him go, afraid that this was all just a dream and she’d wake up in her room, Willow next to her already dressed for the day, and all this a fading dream.

 

“You think it’s real?” Buffy asked. Her voice was quite, but the unmistakable hope was clear. Wincing, she swallowed, tried to ease her breathing, tried to slow her heart rate. Tried not to get her hopes up too high, knowing they’d be crushed. They always were.

 

“Yes. Nothing the Powers send in a vision hasn’t been. Not yet, at least,” Angel added.

 

Punching in her room code to let them into the dorm, Buffy led him to her room. Opening it, she stood outside for a moment. God, she wanted this so badly. Wanted him. “If I invite you in, and we…are you sure?”

 

Gathering her into his arms, Angel kissed her. Slow and sweet, he cupped her face in his cool hands, combed his fingers through her hair. Breaking the kiss in increments, unwilling to let her go, he pulled back. Watched her heavy green eyes open, heard her blood race, felt her warm breath puff on his skin.

 

“I’m sure that if I ever had the choice, I’d never leave you. I’m sure that Doyle’s visions, and now Cordelia’s, are as accurate as can be interrupted. I’m damn sure that Cordelia would never tell me something like this if she didn’t believe it was true.” He kissed her again, a quick affection. “And I’m dead certain that I’d never hurt you again. Not if I could help it. Not if it was within my power to prevent it.”

 

“You willingly left me.”

 

“We’ll talk about that later, love.”

 

“Come in, Angel,” Buffy breathed, taking his hand and drawing him into the room.

 

They made love slowly. Touching through clothing, gently and loving. Removed that clothing, the barrier that had long separated them from each other. Angel kissed his way down her throat, suckled on her neck, inhaling the scent that was his mate. Tasted her sweetness, her fire. Her love. Not even another man could erase that, could come between them. But that wasn’t for now. Now was for them.

 

“I love you,” he whispered against her belly, slipped his fingers into her wet heat. Felt her clench around him.

 

“I’ve only ever loved you, Angel” Buffy sighed.

 

And then he entered her, filling her, and Buffy wanted to shout his name in joy. Panicked, she demanded, “Promise me,” holding his face, she looked in her eyes. “Angel promise me. You won’t leave me. This isn’t a dream. When I wake, you’ll be here.”

 

“I promise, beloved. I swear to you, I’ll always be here.”

 

Wrapping her legs tighter around him, Buffy kissed him fiercely, and they moved together. Languid movements, soft kisses, whispered words of love. His fingers found her clit, his mouth caught her gasps, his other hand lifted him up so he could look at her, watch her as she exploded around him. Clamped down in pleasure.

 

“I love you…”

~~~~~~~~~~

“They put the clause in to punish Angel,” Willow said the day after Angel, who was still blissfully Angel, left to deal with an errant childe in LA.

 

“Yes, I know this,” Buffy grumbled, shuddered. She didn’t like to think on that. How Angel learned what it was like to lose the one person that meant the world to him. Her. He’d held her after they made love, held her close as if afraid she’d disappear. It was her fear as well, so Buffy wasn’t complaining.

 

“Fortunately for all of us, Buffy, you were too strong to be killed. But, from what’s left of Ms. Calendar’s notes, a portion of the reason they cursed Angel – or, ah, Angelus in this case – was for him to suffer. Hurting you fulfilled that twisted reasoning.”

 

“So now that he suffered,” Buffy snapped, bitter. Not at Willow, not even at Jenny Calendar, but at those gypsies who thought this was the ‘perfect punishment.’ Turning someone into a toad was fitting. Cursing someone with a trick soul was not.

 

“He’s finished? What, the punishment’s just done?”

 

“Ah…yes?” Willow squeaked, sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t know sooner. I never really thought to read the rest of the notes saved to that disk. I was so excited over finding the curse, and then afterwards, what with the concussion and the pain. And I didn’t think it worked, and then you were gone…”

 

“It’s okay, Willow,” Buffy said, hugging her friend. “At least you found out now. Can you imagine if you hadn’t?” she shuddered. “I could’ve gone on with my life never knowing…God, I could’ve dated Riley!”

 

“I’m sure the Powers wouldn’t have allowed that. Corn-fed Iowa Boy and Slayer?” Willow shook her head, opened the door to Giles. “In what scary universe does your brain come up with these thoughts?”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Isn’t this typical,” she wrote to Willow, frowning, as they walked to the college and Giles’ research show. Her dream about the weird floaty men from the vision had come true not long after Angel left. In it, she saw them, knew what they were doing, only not – the image wasn’t clear, the idea behind it only that, not a picture. And the song, it had something to do with the song that scary little girl was singing.

 

“He leaves, and I can’t even call him to tell him I need his help.”

 

“It’ll be fine, Buffy,” Willow reassured her friend as she quickly scribbled a response. “It’s not like you can’t defeat this.”

 

“I know,” and Willow could all but hear the sigh, the exasperation in Buffy’s words, even if neither of them could talk. “But that’s not the point. I like it when he’s here.”

 

“Yes, I’m sure,” and she giggled a silent sound. All Buffy did was grin like a fool.

 

“Have I told you thanks for that spell enough, yet?”

 

“You can thank me all you want,” Willow wrote as they entered the classroom. “But Ms. Calendar was really the one who did it.”

 

“Yes, but if I thank her, then I’d have to admit the Powers didn’t care enough to tell us a fucking year ago!” Buffy growled, but no sound emerged. What use was all her anger towards these so-called Powers if she couldn’t express it?

 

Giles knocked on the table to get their attention, and Buffy hastily erased her last words. Big bad. Right. Stupid bad with no appreciation for timing. Spike was having a field day with this one. Even if his barbs lacked something in the reading rather than telling of them. Sitting a few seats down from the vampire, Buffy shot him a dirty look on principal, and watched Giles impart his knowledge.

 

And wondered how she was going to have Angel make this up to her.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Angel,” she breathed into the phone and he smiled at her voice. Some of the tension he’d carried with him eased.

 

“Baby, you’re okay?” he demanded. “What happened?”

 

“Got your message,” Buffy smiled, he could hear it over the phone. “All twenty-seven of them.”

 

“I was worried,” he admitted. “The news was vague, I had things here I had to clean up, and I couldn’t get in touch with you.”

 

“As much as I can’t believe I’m siding with Cordelia, maybe it’s time you invested in some email. I don’t have to talk to tell you I’m fine.”

 

Angel winced. Both at the prospect of the email thing, though he’d learned more about the computer in the past six months than he had since the damn thing was invented, and at the implied chastising. He’d offered to buy her a cell, so they could talk whenever. And while she’d accepted that offer, she’d countered with the email thing.

 

“Uh,” he looked out into the reception area. “Cordelia’s setting it up now.”

 

The implied smirk was as clear as her smile was earlier. “Angel!” Cordelia shouted as if she knew what he and Buffy were discussing. “What kind of password do you want?”

 

“Tell her you’ll set it up yourself,” Buffy told him, lying on her bed and closing her eyes. “Don’t want her reading the email-sex, do you?” There was silence on his end, and Buffy smiled wider. “I’ll walk you through it.”

 

Standing, he took the phone with him and nudged Cordelia aside. She huffed, shrugged, and patted his shoulder. “Goner.”

 

Whether she meant when it came to the internet, or Buffy, Angel didn’t know. Already knew he was when it came to Buffy. Five minutes later, Angel was logged on; he deleted his first spam, and logged back off.

 

“Now tell me what happened.” He instructed, leaving the office area and returning to his rooms. “What happened with Riley?”

 

“I was fighting these uber-ugly, steal your voice guys,” Buffy began, “And he showed up! It was weird. All of a sudden, here’s this seemingly normal guy showing up all commando – er, in commando gear I mean – and fighting with this laser thingy. Willow’s major interested in his ray gun.”

 

Angel quirked an eyebrow. “Ray gun?”

 

“Or whatever,” she defended. “So when are you coming to see me?”

 

“Changing the subject, lover?” Buffy laughed, and he smiled. It warmed him to hear that laugh, to know he was the cause of it. To know that he could make her laugh, make her smile. Make her scream his name in passion.

 

“Yes. Tonight?”

 

“I’ll be there ninety minutes after the sun sets,” he promised. “Now…Riley?”

 

“Oh. Right. Mr. Boring. Or he was until I realized he was part of these commandos we’ve been seeing all over campus and Doyle’s vision warned us of.”

 

Of course, it warmed him even more when Buffy called Riley boring. Petty? Possibly, but Angel didn’t care. Any name calling of Riley Finn was just fine on his part.

 

“Be careful,” he warned. “They might be part of this other vision. I don’t know. But even if they’re not, I want you to be careful around him. If he finds out you’re the slayer, I’m going to enjoy myself if he and his army buddies decide to do anything to you.”

 

“Pft,” Buffy waved it off, and he could see the look in her eyes. “Like I can’t take care of myself.”

 

“I’m not saying that, baby. But if they do experiments on you?” he growled at the thought.

 

“Erm…” she hadn’t thought about that, and Angel could tell by the silence on her end of the phone. “Well, I don’t tell him, then.”

 

“And he had to come to your room to have this conversation?”

 

“I didn’t want to have it in the middle of the park!”

 

“At night, Weatherby Park?” Angel could see the advantages of it.

 

“Angel,” Buffy sighed. “So, I’ll be careful. I won’t tell Mr. Boring about my membership in the Slayer’s Union, and get rid of him. Okay?”

 

“I’ll be there in,” Angel looked at the bedside clock. “Five hours and thirty minutes.”

 

“I’ll be waiting, love.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“What are you?” Riley demanded as he sat on Willow’s bed.

 

Buffy stared at him in anger. Shock and anger. This was the guy Willow, who had apologized profusely when she and Angel got back together, had tried to set her up wit? The commando moron? The guy who couldn’t follow simple instructions? It was one time Buffy’d been sorry Xander hadn’t been there. Even he would’ve got the whole box thing.

 

Riley? Typical. He was some stupid commando the government probably drugged up to take her place. Which, not a bad idea. But so not happening. Her last ‘replacement’ hadn’t gone well at all. It was nice to know she was irreplaceable, but for the love of God, couldn’t they not try with idiots?

 

“Capricorn on the cusp of Aquarius.” she spat, annoyed. And the sun was going down. Angel would be here any time now. She wanted Riley gone. Long gone, when her lover arrived. “You?”

 

Riley at least had the decency to wince. “Sorry. That came out a little blunter than I intended. It’s just,” he stood, looked energized over this whole thing. It was more than a little scary. “You are amazing! Your speed, your strength.”

 

“Also passionate, artistic and inquisitive.” She folded her arms over her chest, glared. “Who are you?”

 

“You know who I am. The rest...what I do,” Riley shook his head, closed off. Whatever. Like it wasn’t obvious. “I can’t tell you.”

 

Buffy stood, wandered to the window to look out at the sun. It was lower, dipping against the horizon. Angel would be leaving…she glanced at her alarm clock, a brief look that Riley didn’t even register. In fifteen minutes. So, assuming he drove as she remembered, the few times they’d managed to go someplace in his car, he’d be here in slightly less than the ninety minutes he’d promised. God, she loved an impatient lover.

 

Suppressing her smile, Buffy tried to put her mind back on the conversational path. Riley. Oh. Right. Commandos.

 

“Well, then let me. You’re part of some military monster squad that captures demons, vampires, all that. Probably have some official sounding euphemisms for them – like unfriendlies or, non-sapiens.”

 

Riley frowned, nodded. “Hostile Sub Terrestrials.”

 

She was so good. “So you deliver these HST’s,” Riley winced again at her dead on observations, “To a bunch of lab coats, who perform experiments on them, which, among other things, turn some into harmless little bunnies. How am I doing so far?”

 

“A little too well.” That befuddled frown was back. Moron. Idiot. Imbecile. How many other names could she come up with for him? Maybe they should have a contest. The person with the most inventive name won…something. To be determined later.

 

“I know what I fight. Even if they’re supposed to be on the same side as me.”

 

“Bulletin. I’m not the only one who’s been a little less than honest here. You still haven’t explained how you do what you do… you fight demons, I get that. But I mean, you wailed on those guys. I mean...I’m a mass of bruises...” he shook his head in amazement, still feeling his muscles pull and strain. “I don’t see a scratch on you”

 

Buffy relaxed. He didn’t know anything. Not about her, not about Spike, not about the Scoobs. And, thank God, not about Angel. Angel…panic seized her as she realized that if they did the harmless puppy thing to Spike, they could to Angel. Not because he fed off humans any more…Buffy’s hand drifted to her neck, caressed the faded scar there.

 

She had to protect him. At any and all cost, she had to protect Angel. She’d do anything, give anything to keep him safe. Eyes lighting back on Riley, Buffy realized that she’d put herself, her friends and family in danger to protect Angel.

 

She sat back on her bed, glanced back at the clock. He was leaving now. Getting closer to her. he’d be here soon, and she’d be in his arms. She’d have to call her mom, let her know to be even more wary about the night than she’d been. And Willow. She needed to remind her roommate not to come back to the dorm tonight. Maybe she and Angel needed their own space. Maybe, Buffy sighed, she was jumping ahead.

 

“I thought a professional demon chaser like yourself would have figured it out by now.” Riley just looked at her. He had no clue. Smirking, Buffy shrugged. “I’m sure someone in your secret little base underneath the college has to know.” 

 

Ah, but for a video camera to capture the look on Riley’s face. Xander’d have a field day with that. Hell, Spike’s commentary alone would be well worth it.

 

“Look it up,” Riley slowly nodded. “I think I will, if you don’t want to just tell me,” he trailed off, but Buffy said nothing, mentally counting the minutes until she was in her lover’s arms. Riley started for the door, knowing a dismissal when he heard one. “Oh, and I don’t think I need to tell you...”

 

Buffy sat back on her bed, leaning on her hands as she watched the minutes tick by and Riley look like a fool at the door. “Not to say a word?”

 

“Good.” Riley nodded, taking her question for ascertain. “It’ll be safer for all that way.”

 

Seventy minutes later, when Angel entered her room, she was shaking.

 

“Angel!” Buffy launched herself into his waiting arms. “I’m going to die.”

 

Panicked, Angel pulled back, looked at her. That wasn’t what he was expecting. “What? Don’t say that, baby. It’s not funny.” But his voice shook.

 

“There was an earthquake, Angel,” Buffy’s voice hitched. “Last time there was an earthquake, I died.”

 

“I’m not letting you die.” This time, his voice was firm. Even with the conviction he felt over that. He was not. Absolutely not. Letting her die. “Do you hear me, Buffy? You’re not leaving me. I’m not letting you die.”

 

Buffy nodded, relaxed. Kissed him a proper hello. Let his arms hold her, his strength seep into her.

 

“Now, want to tell me what has you so worried?” Angel sat on her bed, rested her on his lap. Stretching his legs before him as he leaned against the headboard, he waited for her explanation.

 

“No reason,” Buffy sighed. “It’s just…the earthquake. I know, I know, fault line. Whatever. Last time there was an earthquake, the Master killed me.” Buffy shook her head. “It just brought back a lot of memories.”

 

Tangling his hands in her hair, Angel kissed her again. Fiercely, passionately. “Talk to me, Buffy.”

 

“Don’t you want to hear about Riley, first?”

 

“No,” Angel growled. “I can smell the boy all over. That’s bad enough.”

 

Buffy smirked, feeling better. Really, until the quake, she’d been find. But the Earth moving, the memories it brought back. She’d almost gone to Giles, but Angel was coming. Comfort, security. And in waiting, had worked herself up into quite the anxiety attack.

 

“He’s such a schmuck,” Buffy smiled, leaning back on Angel’s thighs. She moved her hips in a slow motion against his cock, feeling it harden against her, loving that he wanted her, only her. “Doesn’t know what a slayer is. Was all confused when I told him what he did.”

 

“He didn’t know?” Angel asked, confused.

 

“No,” Buffy laughed again. “He does. But didn’t think I did. The look on his face,” she trailed off with another laugh. “It was priceless. You should’ve seen it, Angel.”

 

“No,” another growl.

 

“Never even thought that what he asked wouldn’t be obeyed.”

 

“What do you mean?” But he’d lost whatever little interest he had in the conversation. Tilting her head to the side, Angel kissed his way down her neck.

 

“Doesn’t want anyone to know who he is.” Buffy sighed, voice trailing off as Angel tugged her shirt over his head. “Angel, make love to me.”

 

“With pleasure.” He’d get the rest of the story out of her later. When he held her in his arms, when they slept together in her tiny bed. “With pleasure, my love.”

 

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