Sunnydale, 1998.

Angel had been weird — even by his standards — ever since Buffy had first met the Doctor.

Yep.

Ever since Buffy had gotten back from that thing with the evil Time Lord Omega — who was trying to force his way into this reality to take some terrible revenge — and prevented the Doctor from getting vampirized and possessed by that 'Toby' guy.

Something was up with Angel.

He wasn't just looking uncomfortable. He was twitchy. A nervous wreck.

"The Doctor isn't going to come back here and stake you or anything," Buffy told Angel. "I mean, I'm not some alien expert, but… I just didn't get the whole staking-good-guys vibe from him."

Angel hesitated.

"Despite everything you and Giles said… he seems nice," Buffy offered. "I mean, I haven't known him very long, but… I kind of already think of him as my friend."

This seemed to make Angel even more nervous.

"Buffy," he said, in a small voice, "I… think I might have made a very big mistake."

Buffy twirled her stake in her hands, strolling through the graveyard. "You mean by misleading me into thinking the Doctor was evil and making me hand him over to a bunch of lunatics?" She flashed Angel a smile. "Yeah, you did. But I forgive you."

"Not that," said Angel. "There was… an… agreement. I don't—"

But that was right around the time that the vampires attacked. And whatever Buffy and Angel had been saying to one another was lost forever.

It was a week later.

Angel was alone, in his mansion. Meditating. Trying to suppress the animal that had been brought out inside of him, during his torture in Acathla's dimension. And focus himself on the here and now.

"I thought we had a deal," came a voice.

Angel started, violently. Jumped to his feet and spun around. To find himself face-to-face with the woman wearing sunglasses on her head.

The woman's heels clicked against the ground, as her hair blew back around her with every step.

"He's already come and gone, hasn't he?" the woman asked. Paused, not far away from Angel. Crossing her arms. "Bad Angel. You didn't summon me."

Angel dropped into a fighting stance. Growled.

The woman didn't seem to care.

"That was a crucial moment, you know," the woman informed Angel. "That first meeting between Buffy and the Doctor. The first time she learns to trust him." Her eyes flashed. "It's what starts everything."

Angel's eyes narrowed. His face morphing into his vampiric visage.

"But you didn't summon me!" the woman said, turning on Angel. Her voice lowering, suddenly ice-cold and dangerous. "You've threatened all my plans, Angel. And I don't like people who threaten my plans."

"I couldn't let you hurt Buffy," Angel snapped.

The woman with the sunglasses sighed. Threw up her arms. "I want the Doctor," she said. "Not Buffy. The Doctor." Paused. Then, in a slightly amused voice, added beneath her breath, "I'll deal with her later."

Angel snarled, then sprung at the woman, reaching out to tear her apart.

He wasn't sure what happened next.

Everything went too quickly for him to process or understand. But next thing Angel knew, the woman had him completely restrained and helpless, lying stomach-down on the floor, one hand on his back as she leaned over to look directly into his eyes.

"Angel, Angel, Angel," the woman tutted. "When will you ever learn? You can't fight me. I always win."

"What do you want with Buffy?" Angel demanded. "You said she'd be safe!"

"I said she'd be safe if you summoned me at the correct moment," the woman said, through her teeth. "You didn't."

Angel managed to summon enough strength to roll out of her grasp and then pounce on her, again, hoping to get in a really strong attack, but she expertly blocked two punches, grabbed him by his arm and shoved him against the wall.

Looking deep into his eyes.

"Tell me what happened," the woman demanded, "when the Doctor arrived."

Angel wanted to resist.

But found himself telling her everything. He didn't even understand why he was doing it.

And after he was done, she released him. Stepped back, her eyes drifting off into the distance. A pensive look settling across her face, as she took it all in.

"That's all I know, promise," Angel said. "If I knew more, I'd tell you."

The woman began to pace the room, irritated. "All you know, and it's nothing! Not even half the story! Not even a glancing reference to Jack or Omega." She stopped.

Then turned on Angel.

"You should have gotten me the moment he showed up," the woman growled, pointing at him. "I should have been there!"

Angel didn't know what to say.

"This could ruin everything," the woman muttered. "A crucial moment!"

Angel tried to step forwards, but found himself unable, under her gaze, to approach her. Or even morph into his vampiric visage.

He backed away, instead.

"Are you going to hurt Buffy," he asked, "because of what I did?"

The woman with the sunglasses shot him an indescribable look. One that raged with the power of lightning and thunder, running through her.

"No," the woman said. "I'm going to hurt you."

Angel braced himself for the worst.

But the blow never came.

"You love Buffy, don't you?" said the woman, crossing her arms. "You want her to be yours forever." She stepped forwards. Voice lowering to a whisper. "But I'm from the future. I've seen forever."

Angel felt a chill run through him.

The woman met Angel's eyes with her own. "And... you know what? In the future, Buffy has a child." Her lips turned upwards, ever so slightly. "She has his child."

Angel froze.

Unable to move.

"And all because of that crucial moment that you didn't summon me for," said the woman. "The one moment that could change everything."

"I... I thought..." Angel stammered.

"That it wouldn't be in your best interest to summon me at that precise moment in history?" the woman waved her hand, dismissively. "Oh, it's not. I'm not working to your best interests at all. But that's hardly the point, now, is it?"

Angel didn't understand.

Didn't get it.

"What are you planning?" Angel asked. "Why is this meeting so important to you?"

"It's important to me because of where it leads," said the woman with the sunglasses. "To that child."

Angel frowned.

"And it's important to you, because... it proves a point." The woman turned to leave, her heels clicking against the stone floor. "Buffy may be the love of your life, Angel. But you're not the love of hers." She tugged open the door to the mansion. "That truth is your punishment. For betraying me."

Then she left.

As Angel's heart shattered into a million tiny shards.

It would be the last time Angel ever saw her in Sunnydale.