TITLE: A Night To Remember
AUTHOR: Zorya
E-MAIL: LunarMyth


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Blue. Rather like topaz, if you were the poetic sort. A brilliant, glittering blue topaz, resting on the pillow of the clouds. That's what the sky looked like.

During the day, anyway.

Just this once, Angel told himself. He'd only do this one time. The ring on his finger was both light and heavy, freeing in its endless possibilities and oppressing in the magnitude of its responsibilities.

But he had to have this. Centuries could come and go, and he would be forever changed, if he could just have this one day.

Angel sat in his car, top down as always, and looked at his watch. It was only seven AM. No reasonable, sane person would be up this early in the morning.

Especially in a sleepy town like Sunnydale.

And that just happened to be where Angel was. Where he had been for the past four hours, his car parked in front of the dorm, just...sitting. And waiting.

Always waiting, he grinned ruefully. Waiting for a redemption that might never come.

But there was this. There was now.

He'd felt it, early this morning. Unseen and unheard, but he felt her need for him. It was so hungry, so raw, so...undeniable...that he couldn't resist. While Cordelia and Doyle were out investigating a case with Kate, he'd gone back down into the sewers and found....the answer to his prayers. The one thing that could bring him safely to his love. The ring she'd sent to him months ago. So he'd slipped it onto his finger and had driven off to meet the sunrise.

Now here he was, barely fifty yards away from her, and all he could do was wait until she appeared. If she appeared. His mind and heart were aflame at the thought of seeing her in the sunlight, in her glory, where she belonged. So much time, so much pain, but if he could just...see her. Know that she was all right. Maybe he could soothe the restlessness in his soul.

If only it were that easy.

Angel glanced back down at his watch. Seven-fifteen. The door to the dorm opened and Angel looked up, holding an unnecessary breath. A short, black haired girl exited, decked out in her jogging finery. Angel contemplated running to the door, but what would he do? He wasn't exactly invited in. So he stayed seated in his car, relishing the warmth that encompassed him. Warmth that was from the sun.

Doubts overcame him as his mind wandered. What if she didn't want to see him? What if she told him to leave and never come back? What if.... What if he was wrong and he only wanted to believe she needed him? What if she'd...moved on?

Oh, he knew about Parker. Spike had surely enjoyed spilling that little bit of information, knowing that the knowledge would weaken his reserve. But it hadn't. Any thought of Buffy gave him strength. She'd only done what he'd told her to do, and in the end it had brought her much pain. Cordelia had waited almost a month before telling him of her situation. Guilt ate away at him for weeks. Even now he felt the tinge of remorse. Could he have prevented that heartache? Or was Cordelia right in saying that Parker wasn't the subject of Buffy's pain, but merely a scapegoat for Angel himself? And if that was true, he was right where he'd started...what if she didn't want to see him?

Angel leaned back in his seat and stared up at the sky. As he did so, he felt the first few drops of rain fall lightly onto his face. He began to raise his top in resignation. It would figure that rain was on the agenda on the day he wanted to spend with Buffy. That didn't matter to him though. He was determined to make the most of it. Something he couldn't do cooped up inside his car. Stepping out, the clouds seemed to open and rain fell down on him like a sign from heaven. And still, he stood firm and resilient. He would not be driven away.


***


"But it's pouring down outside. You'll catch a cold."

"Will, that's only a myth. Besides, I'm a Slayer. I bounce back."

"Well...it's because you're a Slayer that you shouldn't go out. Who's gonna...you know...slay...if you're sick?"

Buffy grinned. "Last time I saw, you have two legs and two arms."

"Well...I have been practicing...no! You're not gonna trick me into that again." Willow looked out of the window again. "Besides, it's cloudy. What if you're besieged by vampires?"

Buffy joined her at the window. "Oh, you mean those rare day-walking vamps? Nasty fellows. Look...see...it's sunny right over there. This'll clear up in no time. I just need to...clear my head."

Willow sighed. "I just, you know, worry...."

"Don't," Buffy told her. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." Grabbing her red vinyl jacket and slipping a stake into her waistband, Buffy opened the door. "I'll be back soon. Promise. Then we can go get a couple of mochas down at the JavaNet, k?"

Willow nodded and opened up her Psych book. "I'm just gonna do a little studying till you get back."

Buffy shook her head. "See ya." As she neared the entrance, she thought about going back for her umbrella, but discarded the idea. Rain hadn't been in the forecast, surely it would stop soon. She pushed to door open and shrugged into her jacket, letting the dry warmth encompass her. It felt good. As she stepped out from under the eaves, she heard the fat raindrops make plopping sounds on the vinyl. Fitting that it would rain today, she thought. She turned to the right and then to the left, trying to decide which way to go. Right would bring her to the graveyards, left would bring her to the Bronze. And it was too early in the day to do much good at either of those places. So she decided to go straight, towards the docks. But as she turned to walk, she stopped dead in her tracks.

In fact, Buffy was sure it was a vision. Hadn't she just laughed at Willow for suggesting that any vampire would be out during the day? No, he couldn't be there. Couldn't be standing there, under the tree she herself had stood under many a time, looking so beautiful, his dark hair plastered to his head and the rain dripping from his angelic features. He took a faltering step forward, as if afraid that she would run, and Buffy had to admit she almost did. But she stood her ground, all of the old feelings, love, desire, bitterness, anger, all swimming to the surface as they stood there, barely a hundred feet between them. It was as if time stopped for them and the world faded away. In the back of her mind, Buffy realized the rain had stopped, and at the same time Angel stepped out of the shadow of the massive tree, the sun emerged from behind the clouds. A strangled cry caught in the back of her throat as she saw her beloved in the sunlight for the first time. She knew that for as long as she lived, she'd never see a more beautiful sight.

She was an angel, he thought as he stepped out of the shadows. Her eyes were wide, like a startled doe's, and he could see the shimmery green tint to them even from where he stood. Sunlight washed over her, giving her a golden glow. It wasn't often that he'd been able to see her in the sunlight, the pure sunlight, and being able to join her made all the difference. He'd never seen anything more beautiful than she was right then. Every cell in his body wanted to rush to her, to pick her up and twirl her around in his arms, to share his joy with her. But he did none of that. Instead, Angel took a few restrained steps forward and stopped. If she was ready to face him, if she wanted to be with him, she would make the decision.

In the blink of an eye, the decision was made. He would have chuckled at the sight she made barreling towards him, but his emotions clogged his throat. As she leaped into his arms, Angel tightened his embrace around her. Buffy's momentum made him stumble backwards, but neither noticed or cared. He would catch her, for he would never let her come to harm.

She was crying, Angel realized. Her tears dripped onto his face at the same time her soft lips covered him in fleeting kisses. It was a long moment before her arms wound tightly around him and her face buried itself in his shoulder, her sobs wracking her body.

"Shhhh," he soothed her. "Everything's going to be all right. I'm here. I'm here," Angel murmured quietly.

"But you weren't..." Buffy cried softly.

Angel's heart clenched. "No," he admitted. "I wasn't. But...I'm here now...and I...." Angel felt her sigh against him. He knew now that perhaps he shouldn't have come. He could feel it, feel that their lives were hanging in the balance here, and that his next words would tip the scale either way. His hands rubbed up and down her back in a gentle caress.

Could she be his redemption? Or would being with her ruin any chance of earning that?

Turning his head, Angel placed a soft kiss on her temple. Her tears had stymied, and she was barely breathing, as if she too knew that he held her fate in his hands. "I..." he began.

Buffy listened with bated breath. He'd hurt her so many times. She didn't know if she could bounce back if he left her again. She didn't know if she had the will.

Angel shook his head. "I can't leave you. Not again. And maybe it would have been better if I'd never taken this chance, but...."

Buffy placed a finger over his lips and shook her head. "Don't," she whispered softly. "Don't." Laughingly, Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. "I love you," she murmured. It seemed so surreal to be sitting there, in his arms, almost as if nothing had changed. But everything had. Her whole life was different...now that he was in it.

Angel trailed his thumbs lightly over her jaw. She was so dainty and delicate and...strong. He'd missed her so much. There was no other woman in the world like Buffy. And she loved him. It was a miracle in itself. "I love you," he told her truthfully as he stared into her wide hazel eyes.

"I needed you...."

"I know. I felt you."

Buffy nodded. "I know."

They stayed that way for the longest time, touching, looking, sighing...their bodies reacquainting themselves with each other's as if they were long lost friends, their souls embracing as two long lost lovers.

And the sun shined down on them.


***


"I don't think I've ever been so happy. I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop," Buffy confided in Angel as she looked at him over the candlelight.

Angel shook his head and smiled at her. "Don't be so pessimistic."

Buffy snickered. "This coming for a man who's majored in Brooding 101?"

Angel chuckled. "What can I say? You have that effect on me."

"Making you brood or making you optimistic?"

Angel shrugged and leaned forward, kissing her gently on the lips. "To be honest, well...both. For the first couple of months after I moved here, I think Cordelia was seriously contemplating staking me."

Buffy leaned back in her seat and set her fork down on her empty plate. "She wouldn't dare," Buffy growled playfully.

"True. She just made a point of leaving stakes lying around and the windows open. But I never was any good with hints."

"I'll second that," Buffy chided, lifting her goblet of water in the air. As she took a sip, Buffy watched her lover over the rim of the fragile crystal. She'd been with Angel for a week now. They'd decided it would be a good idea for them to spend some quality time together, so he'd driven back and forth to Sunnydale from LA until the Christmas holiday. When Angel had asked her to come spend the weekend with him, she'd been ecstatic. And the weekend had turned into the week. And she wasn't unwilling to stay for another one, either. The time they'd spent together the past few days had seemed magical. It was as if, for once, none of the complications in their lives could distract them. Experiencing the full focus of Angel's attention and love had been a new sensation for her. She felt cherished and worshipped. And all of the doubts she'd ever had seemed to fly away when he turned those dark, soulful eyes on her. When he gazed into her eyes, Buffy could see herself the way Angel saw her, and it was breathtaking. She never wanted the feeling to end.

"I've got a surprise for you," Angel told her with a mischievous grin.

Buffy arched a brow. "A surprise? Isn't a romantic candlelit dinner for two enough?"

"Not for you, it isn't. Your perfection deserves much more." He winked salaciously and stood up.

Buffy laughed. "Where *did* you pick up these lines?" she asked, shaking her head in amusement.

"What? Doyle rubbing off on me too much?"

Buffy grimaced. "God, I hope not."

Angel chuckled good naturedly and led her to the chair in his den. "Sit down," he instructed her.

Buffy complied and watched him warily. He brought the candles from the small dinner table and set them on the end table next to her. Then he walked around the room, turning off each light, until only the soft glow of the two candles could be seen. "What *are* you doing?"

Angel kneeled down in front of her and leaned forward. "I'm making this a night to remember," he told her before his lips brushed over hers. He dropped his hands to encircle her ankles, and Buffy sighed into him, the tension easing from her body as his fingertips rubbed the back of her heel. Slowly, she felt his fingers trail upwards over her skin, his fingers kneading away the stress in her limbs. When he lightly ran his fingers over the back of her knees, Buffy gasped. A swift bolt of desire traveled through her body. She looked up to ask what he was doing, but the words stuck in her throat and her lips formed a pretty little "o". Angel was lifting her leg up, one of his large hands gently holding her slender thigh in his grasp. She felt the insane urge to cover herself from his view as her skirt slid over her legs and around her waist, but he was too intent on the sweet, tender flesh on the back of her knee. His cool lips brushed over the hot skin, sending little bursts of fire through her veins, and she watched helplessly as his tongue flicked out, licking and tasting.

"Angel..." she sighed. There was something wrong about this, but it felt so right. So how could it be wrong? There was nothing more she wanted than to be in Angel's arms.

He draped her leg over his arm and started with the other one, his mouth working magic and wreaking havoc on her body. Buffy felt the heat pooling between her thighs as his lips trailed kisses up the inside of her leg. His cool fingers moved over her, gathering the thin fabric of her white skirt, his knuckles brushing against the taut, receptive skin of her abdomen, and he exhaled her so lightly, his breath caressing her bare sex. It drove her wild, but when his head dipped down to place a kiss at the juncture of her thighs, Buffy slammed back into reality.

"Angel, no!" she cried, desperately trying to push him away. "We can't!"

Angel raised his head and grinned roguishly. "I can't give the woman I love a little pleasure?"

Buffy shook her head. "No. No pleasure for Buffy." Her eyes conveyed the hopelessness of the situation. "Angel, you know we can't. You know it...it won't stop...if we start...."

Angel placed a finger over her lips, hushing her. "Do you trust me?" he asked her.

Buffy gazed at her love, her Angel, and nodded. "Yes, but -"

"No buts," he said. "See this?" he asked, raising his hand in front of her, the candlelight glinting off of the ring he wore on his finger. Buffy nodded again. "Well, it protects me," he told her. "From sunlight...from stakes...from...curses." Her eyes widened and he could see the glimmer of hope shining through. "Doyle assures me it will work." He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers, his gaze captured by hers. "Please, Buffy," he murmured softly. "Please let me love you."

Swallowing the tears that were ever-present when she was around Angel, Buffy smiled and nodded her acceptance. It was a dream come true, being able to be with the one man who loved, and whom she loved, more than life itself.

She leaned back in the chair and opened herself to Angel, gasping once again as the coolness of his tongue blazed a trail over feverish skin. He slipped a fingertip between her folds, parting her to his view. Angel lowered his mouth to her pink flesh, slick with desire, and inhaled her scent. Her arousal peaked his own and her taste was like wine on his lips. Buffy gasped as his velvety tongue encompassed her swollen, sensitive clit, and arched her hips forward. Angel ran his hands up over her soft hips to grasp her waist and his fingers dug into her as he pulled her to him. A growl sounded deep in his chest as he listened to the quiet mewling sounds coming from his love. His mouth continued to assault her, driving her to the brink of her release. Just as she was about to climax, Angel pulled away. Buffy cried out at the loss of him and stared at him in indignation. He chuckled and cupped her cheek in his palm. "A night to remember," he murmured against her lips before kissing her, letting her own taste invade her senses.

As Buffy's arms wrapped around him, he lifted her and carried her into his bedroom. He'd planned this night very carefully, and he wasn't going to let his ever-growing need for her ruin it. Carefully, he lowered her feet to the floor, letting her stand against the edge of the bed. Buffy realized hazily that his bedroom had also been set up with several candles, lending a golden glow to the room. She smiled up at him in wonderment. How had she ever lived without him, without out his wonderful sense of romance? How had she ever thought that any man could take his place?

Angel easily unbuttoned her sweater and unclasped her bra before pushing the clothing over her shoulder and letting it fall to the floor. Her skirt was next to go, whispering gently as it glided over her slender legs. Again he kneeled down before her, his fingers hooking on the thin band of her panties as he reverently drew them down. Buffy's hands rested lightly on his shoulders, her fingers burying themselves in the soft cotton of his white button down shirt. As soon as she was nude, Angel scooped her up in his arms and placed her gently on his bed that was sprinkled with rose petals.

Buffy felt the silky petals rub against her skin and reveled in the luxury of it. He'd planned everything so perfectly. No, he was just the perfect man. The perfect man for her. And he was all hers.... "Have I ever told you how much I love you?" Buffy asked playfully as she ran her fingers beneath the collar of his shirt. As her fingers toyed with the buttons, freeing them one by one, she smiled invitingly up at him.

"Only a couple of hundred times. Not nearly often enough, if you ask me," Angel told her with a grin. Her small hands brushed the fabric over his broad, muscular shoulders, and bared the impressive expanse of his chest to her view. Her fingers caressed that hard, lean chest now in wonderment and awe. He was sleek and powerful and so...big. And he made her feel protected.

"Thank you," she whispered in a hushed tone.

"For what?" Angel asked as he slipped out of his shirt and leaned over her, placing a light kiss on her forehead.

Buffy looked up at him, her eyes large and bright. "For loving me."

Angel shook his head. "Then I should be thanking you."

Buffy grinned up at him. "For what?" she echoed.

Angel traced her lips with a fingertip. "For loving me...for giving me everything I never thought I deserved.... For bringing me redemption."

She kissed his finger and moved beneath him, her hands fumbling with his pants. "Love me, Angel," she entreated softly.

"Forever," Angel told her before slipping off his pants and joining her on the bed, their naked forms entwining about each other. Instinctively he knew she was ready for him, and in one slow, deliberate thrust, he entered her. She was hot and tight and...like home. This was where he was supposed to be, for once Angel knew that with a rock solid certainty. She encompassed his entire being as he slid deeply into her, his cock pressing against the upper wall of her cervix. He nudged her head to the side and placed a kiss at her pulse before trailing a path down her smooth skin, over the dainty bone of her clavicle, to the swell of her breasts. Wrapping one arm around her, Angel turned over so that she was beneath him. Buffy's eyes were half closed, laden with desire and love, and the sight made him smile as he bent down to suckle at her breast. His teeth scraped against the tender flesh, causing a shudder of desire to wrack her tiny body. With tantalizing slowness, he slid out of her, only to thrust into her with more power. Each time he did so, she moaned with an ever growing intensity that was driving him wild. Buffy wrapped her legs around his waist as she arched up to meet him. He was playing with her, like excruciating torture, and she was loving every minute of it. Each time he slid back, his rigid shaft dragged over her sensitive nubbin, and when he entered her, well, that was just exquisite. He filled her beyond belief, stretching her, making her feel complete and whole. It was a feeling she never wanted to lose.

Angel groaned as he drove into her. She was gripping him from the inside, her slick, velvety depths like a vise around his cock. He lifted up again to look down on her rapturous beauty, and kissed her. Buffy's lips parted easily beneath his ministrations and as their tongues sparred, Angel turned over again, so that he was on his back and she was lying astride him. Realizing their switch, Buffy leaned up and grinned down at him. She placed her small hands on his chest and sat up, gasping as she impaled herself on his long, thick shaft. Hesitantly, she lifted up and slid back down, as if examining her position and finding she liked it. Angel rested his hands on her hips, guiding her as she rode him, his dark gaze following the way the fullness of her breasts bounced with each movement. She was his goddess. She was his.

Buffy felt herself clenching around him as she neared the brink of her climax. Angel felt it too and bit his lower lip, extracting blood, as he felt her tighten around him. He ran his hands over her hips, down between her thighs, and let his thumbs massage the sensitive flesh that would drive her over the edge. At his touch, Buffy threw back her head and arched her back, her vaginal muscles milking his cock for all he was worth. At the sight of her body, writhing with such wanton abandon atop his, Angel spilled his seed inside her, the cool fluid spurting up into her womb. She collapsed on top of him, her breath coming in pants and her golden skin covered in with a fine sheen of perspiration. Angel wrapped his arms around her, keeping their bodies joined for as long as possible. He turned them onto their sides and kissed her temple, feeling her erratic pulse.

When she'd regained most of her composure, Buffy lifted her gaze and stared into his eyes. Angel knew what she was seeking, what she needed to see, to watch. They stayed that way for a long time, gazing into each other's eyes.

And nothing happened.

Buffy smiled tearily as she launched herself back into his embrace, and even Angel had to let out a sigh of relief. "I told you I won't leave you," he whispered to her.

She sniffled and leaned back. "You know what would make this just totally great?"

Angel grinned. "Doing it again?"

Buffy laughed and swatted at his chest. "No, silly. I was thinking...maybe we could...exchange a present. Just one. An early Christmas gift."

Angel arched an arrogant black brow. "You've been trying to get me to let you open a present ever since you got here. Are you saying you only slept with me to get me to do your bidding?"

Buffy smiled coyly. "Did it work?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes. Yes, it did."

Buffy giggled and hopped out of the bed, running to search beneath the tree as Angel followed at a slower pace. "Here," she said as he walked into the den, thrusting a present into his hands. "Now where's mine?"

Angel laughed. "Greedy little thing, aren't you?" Instead of moving towards the tree, he walked to his jacket which was tossed over his chair. He rummaged around in his pockets for a moment before bringing back a small box wrapped prettily in shimmery crimson paper.

"You go first," Buffy told him, nestling against him as the settled onto the couch. Gently, Angel began to unwrap his present. "Oh God...you're one of *those* people," Buffy sighed.

Angel paused. "One of what people?"

"The type of people who take forever to unwrap a gift. You know, you're supposed to tear into it. It just ruins the fun of it if you don't."

"Really? You seemed to like the suspense a minute ago."

"Oh believe me, it was killing me," she scoffed.

Angel opened the box and found another box inside. He lifted it out and began unwrapping it, even more slowly in Buffy's estimation.

"Don't make me get Mr. Pointy out to play."

Angel chuckled and opened the box, to find yet another, smaller wrapped box inside. "Are you *sure* you don't want to go first?" he asked her.

"No, no. Go on. We don't have all night." She smiled lewdly at him and laughed when he tore the paper off of the last box. He opened the box and inside was a silver Claddagh ring. Angel smiled mysteriously and kissed her soundly. "Thank you," he told her.

"Do you like it?"

"Oh, I love it. No doubt about that."

Buffy lowered her lashes shyly. "Wear it with the heart pointing towards you...it means you belong to somebody." She reached out and placed it on his ring finger, bending down to kiss it.

Angel nudged her chin up and leaned down to place another lingering kiss on her delectable lips. "Now it's your turn," he reminded her softly.

Buffy, despite her previous remarks to Angel, took her time opening the present, not wanting to tear the beautiful wrapping. Taking off the bow, she playfully stuck it to the top of his head, earning a warning growl that sent a jolt through her. Inside was a small black velvet box. She opened it slowly and her breath caught in her throat, mixing her gasp and her chuckle. Resting lightly on the black velvet was a smaller, platinum Claddagh ring, whose heart was a perfect diamond. "Oh Angel..." she sighed. "It's beautiful."

Removing the ring from the box, Angel turned the ring around and slipped it onto her ring finger. "Wear it with the heart pointing towards you...it means you belong to somebody." He smiled at her. "And it's not half as beautiful as you."

Buffy smiled tenderly. "You really *must* stop picking up Doyle's lines...."

Angel silenced her with a kiss as he picked her up and carried her back into the bedroom. "As long as I've got you, that's fine with me."


***


Buffy stretched in bed, listening to the sounds of Angel in the shower. He'd been kind enough to let her sleep, but the minute he'd vacated the bed, Buffy was awake. Of course, that hadn't stopped her from pretending she was asleep just so she could watch him move around the room with his subtle, carefree grace. The fact that he was naked helped too.

She heard the elevator coming down and cursed lowly. It was probably Doyle or Cordelia coming to check up on Angel. Didn't they understand the meaning of Christmas "holiday"? That meant they didn't have to be around 24/7 as an excuse to flirt with each other. Hastily slipping on one of Angel's shirts and buttoning it up, Buffy walked out of the bedroom to greet them politely and tell them to go away.

"Angel?" Buffy heard a woman's voice coming from the den.

She silently grabbed one of Angel's daggers and stepped into the light. "Can I help you?" she asked, her voice cool and collected.

Kate's gaze swept over the teenager in front of her, clothed only in one of Angel's shirts -- crookedly buttoned at that, and she was instantly on edge. "I'm looking for Angel," she said, her voice as frigid as Buffy's.

The two women stood in his den, sizing each other up, as Angel strolled into the room, only a towel wrapped around his still wet body. "Buffy, is that you...." The words died on his lips as he saw Kate standing in the middle of his apartment. "Oh. Kate. Hi. What brings you here this morning?"

Kate cleared her throat and tossed a meaningful glance at Buffy. "I, uhh...I came to talk to you about...you know...the case..." she looked again to Buffy. "And to...ummmm...to see if you, uhhh, had any plans, you know...for Christmas. You know, maybe we could talk privately...away from the children."

Buffy snickered and rolled her eyes.

"What's going on here, Angel?" Kate demanded. "Just please tell me it's not illegal in twenty-four states."

"Oh no. Many more than that...."

Kate glared at her. "How old *are* you anyway? Angel, she's a child! Please tell me -"

"I'm eighteen. How old are *you*?" Buffy shot back, her eyes taking in the older woman.

"Eighteen!"

"Kate. Look. What Buffy and I -"

"You're sick, you know that? I understand you have relationship problems...." She looked at Buffy and shook her head. "I think I see what that problem is, now."

"Kate," Angel said warningly, but she didn't take heed.

"I just.... I thought you were different, Angel. I never thought you would be the type to fall for some...immature...teeny-bopper...high schooler!" she finished exasperatedly as she flung open the elevator grate.

"College freshman, actually," Buffy chirped.

Angel shot her a look and she hid her giggle. "Kate, wait."

Kate turned around, hands on her hips, and stared at him expectantly. "Unless you're going to tell me that I'm not really seeing what I'm seeing here, I don't want to hear it, Angel."

Angel shook his head. "I'm not. But I do want you to know something. This is Buffy Summers. And she's the love of my life. She's what gives my life purpose. I first saw her on a sunny day when she was fifteen. She was standing outside her high school, eating a red lollipop, and I was madly in love with her from that second. Believe me, it transcends age more than you'd ever believe," he laughed humorlessly. "But she accepts me for who and what I am. She understands me. Because she's the other half of me."

"Are you finished?" Kate asked coldly.

"No," Angel said offhandedly. "I really only wanted to tell you that Buffy's my soul. And I don't really give a damn what you think."

Kate looked contemptuously at the two of them before hitting the button that would bring her up to the office. In moments, she was gone.

"She's a lovely person, Angel. I'm so happy to know you've been making friends while you've been in LA." Angel turned to her, his body tensed, as if for attack. Her eyes roamed over his muscular form, and the way the towel was hanging low on his hips, exposing the trail of hair the led down to his.... "Did you mean it?" she asked softly.

Angel's gaze cleared and he walked to her. "Every word."

Buffy smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed the spot above his heart. "You're my soul too," she told him. She grabbed his hand and tugged him back into the bedroom, her gaze all the warning he was allowed. "And by the way," she added as an afterthought. "You most *definitely* have plans for Christmas...."





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