Disclaimer: I own nothing, Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to the talented but EVIL Joss Whedon.

She saw him there, standing in a smoke, a scene straight out of a cheesy romance novel, and something inside her snapped. She ran towards him, using slayer speed to her advantage, "Angel!', she grabbed his arm, spinning him around to face her.

"Buffy, I told you I didn't want to do this", he said, his eyes pleading with her not to make this harder.

"I figure if you don't have to respect my wishes, I don't have to respect yours."

Angel looked at her, confused, "what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you deciding what's best for me! I'm eighteen, I can vote, I can join the army, I'm pretty sure I can choose who I want to be with. Not to mention the fact that I've been responsible for the whole freaking world since I was fifteen. I decide what's best, not you, not my mother, not Giles or Willow or Xander. ME. And I decided that you are what's best for me."

Angel just stood there in deep thought, had he disregarded her opinion, belittled her as she'd said? On the other hand she was only a teenage girl, how could she know what she wanted five years from now? She did, however, have a point she wasn't like other girls her age, she was responsible for about 6 billion people. But that didn't change the fact that she deserved better than him. She deserved someone who could make love to her, give her children, grow old with her. She deserved a normal life.

"But…"

"But nothing! I told you that strong was fighting, so be strong and fight for us. We can try to work around the curse, but even if we can't it's a moot point because I don't want anyone but you to ever touch me like that."

"It doesn't change anything; you deserve someone who can give you a normal life. I can't."

"Angel", she whispered sadly, and then quickly going back to yelling, "You're an idiot! I will NEVER have a normal life, and I don't want one if you aren't in it. I don't give a damn about picnics or any of that, so if you want to leave you're gonna have to come up with better excuses to be a coward!"

Angel was taken aback 'coward?'

"you heard the girl", a voice neither of the lovers recognized immediately. Angel turned around to see an infuriatingly cocky midget behind him, "whistler." Angel greeted, confusion evident in his tone.

AN: OOOOOOOOOOOH cliff hanger!! Review or you'll never know what happens. (Evil laugh)