Settling on the couch Buffy snuggled into Angel who remained a little tense. "Buffy, the other night, you said there was stuff from high school that you wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah, I have a few questions, but you don't have to answer right now. I understand needing to get your thoughts together and I don't want to put you on the spot" Buffy began.

"Ok, what's on your mind?" Angel asked.

"Umm, well this is more embarrassing than I thought it would be by now…when, when we were together on my 17th birthday …afterward, when Angelus came back to the apartment..."

"Buffy stop!" Angel interrupted. "Oh, Buffy please don't- god I knew I should have found a time to talk to you about that first encounter years ago. Buffy, the memory of making love with you that night is one of the brightest and strongest memories I have. You were amazing and I'll treasure it always. One of the most difficult things I have ever had to do is keep my hands, mouth, and body separate from yours. And now soon, I'll show you." Angel told her as he silently cursed Angelus and wished that Buffy remembered the day that wasn't.

As Angel's hands cupped her face and she saw the love mixed with regret shining in his eyes she realized they had to wait for his soul to be bound. After that she would have no more doubts on this topic. "Okay, moving on, what does the Claddagh ring mean to you and also this?" She asked him as she pulled her hair off her shoulder to expose his mark on her neck.

Angel stared at his mark for a minute and then met her gaze. "I'll tell you everything about those two symbols and the cultures that gave them to me, but I do need to get my thoughts together. I don't want to stumble through an explanation on them when they are both so important to who we are together."

"I thought as much. I know they're sensitive topics between us, but we need to sort everything out if our future relationship is going to work like we want it to. I don't want past wounds keeping us apart. I love you, Angel."

"And I love you" Angel whispered in her ear as he pulled her into a gentle, loving hug and realized again how much she had grown and matured in the years they had been apart. Then he kissed her brow and told her he was going home to get his thoughts together.

Buffy, also wondering whether or not she should check on Willow, saw Angel to the door.

Back at his apartment Angel pulled out the matching Claddagh rings and tried to unscramble the thoughts running through his mind.

My Beloved,

In the 18th century Galway I was raised in as a human the Claddagh rings were usually exchanged between a man and woman when they became engaged. The culture recognized that these two people belonged to one another. The crown is for loyalty, the hands for friendship, and the heart for love. You have had my heart from the first time I saw you on the steps of Hemry High School hours before you were called as the next slayer. The custom in Galway was that once the were exchanged and worn with the hearts pointing in, like ours, the couple was expected to marry very soon. I just didn't ask you to marry me that night. I never thought that you would actually marry me - especially when we're now in the 21st century, you were 17, the tradition on the rings isn't what it used to be, and, of course, my being a vampire didn't help either. But I had to give you that ring - and tell you what the symbols meant so that you would have proof - a physical reminder - of my feelings for you. I have always belonged to you and I will always belong to you. I found your ring when I came back from hell, and once able to, I put it away with mine.

Belonging to each other…well that leads us to your second question. The mark on you neck is the vampric sign for a mate. I'm unsure of what you already know about this. The bond between a vampire and their mate is the strongest between vampires. Stronger than the bond between sire and childe. The mark shows other vampires that you are taken and can't be touched by them. It was such an intense and intimate moment between us and it was then - when you offered your own blood willing that Angelus stopped wanting to destroy you. For once the demon and soul were in agreement - you were to be protected in any way, at any cost. You may have been with Spike in the past, but I'm sure he never touched the mark or fed from you. Only I have that right and it's a strong custom we have lived by from the beginning of our kind. The scar you wear is just an outside sign of our internal bond. The bond itself allows us to actually feel each other even when we're separated. It tells us where the other is, a sense of the physical distance between us, and also allows us to know if that other is feeling any emotion very strongly. Of course, the more physical distance there is between us the less we're able to feel from the bond. And since I'm the vampire I can feel everything more strongly than you can.

You are my heat and soul. Nothing will separate us again once the curse is permanently in place. I am looking forward to showing you just how special you are.

My eternal love,

Angel

Once again in the dead of night Angel slipped into Buffy's room. This time he did not wake her, but left his letter propped up on the bedside table so she would have it first thing in the morning.