Monday Afternoon

Sunnydale High School

Classroom B-214 (Senior English)

Willow stood in the doorway of Buffy's classroom watching her friend stare blankly at nothing at all. She was lost in her head and Willow wanted to know why.

"What kept you this morning?" Willow asked tearing Buffy from her thoughts of the Angelus and everything that had happened in the last day in a half. Buffy did not respond feeling nervous under Willow suspicious squinting eyes. "And why do you have that, 'lost in the abyss' look on your face? And why do you look like you've been doing something very naughty?"

Buffy stared the redhead as she approached. You're right, Wills, I've been doing something very, very naughty. Crap. Why does she know me so well? Buffy's pouting frown deepened.

It didn't take very long for Willow to understand the guilty expression on her face. Willow's eyes widened and a smile started to tug at her lips. "Buffy Summers, did you lose an earring to a man last night?"

Wincing, Buffy slowly nodded her head.

"And was that man tall, dark, and brooding?"

Again, Buffy silently nodded her head.

Willow shirked an inaudible phrase and grabbed Buffy by her wrist and pulled to the desk wanting to hear everything; every single detail. "Tell me everything! When did it happen? How did it happen? I thought you hated him?"

Finally finding her voice, Buffy replied still reeling from the shock of the sudden turn of events and newly discovered feelings, "I thought so too."

"Carpe diem," Willow said dreamily holding her chin in the palm of her hand.

Buffy frowned, "Seize the fish?"

With an eye-roll, Willow shook her head and said, "No, not carp. Carpe. It means to seize the day."

"Oh, right," Buffy shrugged still unsure where Willow was going with that but played it off coolly. "Well, then yeah, then we definitely seized… several... days…" Buffy mumbled.

"How romantic," Willow sighed as if Buffy was telling her some romantic story. "First, you two hated each other and now you're in love—"

"—Whoa! Whoa! What? Love?" Buffy shook her head with surprise. "I—I never said anything about love!"

Willow narrowed her gaze over the blonde sitting the desk across from her. "But you do… love him… don't you? I mean, sooner or later, love is sort of inevitable." She watched as Buffy looked down at her twisting fingers, a nervous habit. "What are you going to do about Riley?"

Hitting an apparent sore spot, Buffy felt the pressure of guilt weight over her shoulders. "I… I'm going to break it off with him—But not because of Angel," Buffy quickly added. "Obviously, I'm not as invested into the relationship as I thought I was… Otherwise, why would I…"

"Have feelings for another man?" Willow finished.

"Right," Buffy said unsteadily. "Riley's a good man and he doesn't deserve to be strung along. I feel like we've been doing that to each other for too long."

"So you want to try the whole, you and Angelus thing?"

With a shrug, Buffy uneasily agreed with her friend, "Y—yes, maybe… I don't know… He's still him… I just don't want to be another notch on his bedpost and I'm terrified that I might be. The chase is done. He's got me."

"He's in love with you, Buffy," Willow said wanting to so badly ease her best friend's fears away.

"You can't know that." Buffy disagreed shaking her head.

With a smile and a nod of her head, Willow looked at Buffy as if she were insane, "Not know? Buf, he's all googly-eyed for you. I mean the guy went to some extremes to get your attention."

She's got a point. Buffy listened to the nagging inner voice in her head. Angel did barge into your classroom—and don't forget the boardwalk—Ugh, one stupid sunrise and suddenly I'm in love—Eek! I didn't mean that! Buffy's frown deepened. Damnit!

"So what finally changed?" Willow asked wanting to hear everything about the moment that had finally reeled Buffy into Angelus' arms. "Did you do that thing with your mouth that boys like—" Willow frowned realizing how sexual that must've sounded, "—I don't mean that thing you do with your mouth—I didn't mean that either… I mean that sort of half smile that you do and…" Willow trailed off noticing the amused smile dancing across Buffy's lips. "You're s'posed to stop me when I do that." She frowned.

Cocking a highbrow, Buffy's smile widened, "And interrupt your incoherent rambles?—No way!"

"Fickle." Willow said with a pouting frown.

Narrowing her eyes over Willow, Buffy retorted, "Nosey."

"Harpy," Willow smirked.

"Ferret."

"Tramp."

"Creep."

"Bad seed."

The sound of the friend's laughter echoed down the empty hall which was just about to be filled with students coming back from lunch.

Sunnydale General Hospital

There wasn't a single thing to like about hospitals. They were cold, unwelcoming, smelled like rubber gloves, sterilization products, and worst of all, death, at least according to Buffy it did.

Buffy pushed back the fallen strands from her hair bun as she entered through the sliding doors of the hospital. She walked passed the familiar faces of the nurses softly smiling at her. I hate this place.

On her way home from school, Buffy decided to stop to see her mother before heading to her house. In honesty, she was trying to delay the time figuring Angelus was still at her house, probably snooping through her things like the curious man he was. She still wasn't sure what she was feeling for him. She knew once Angelus had gotten his fill of her, he'd be one to the next woman. Buffy hated the sickening feeling that twisted in her stomach at just the thought of Angelus with someone else.

This seemed like a conversation she needed to have with her mother.


As Buffy rounded the corner of the hallway which led into the waiting room, Buffy bit back her surprise when her eyes fell on the familiar board shouldered figure sitting in a chair patiently waiting.

Feeling a pair of eyes on him, Angelus lifted his gaze from the open folder in his hands to Buffy. He released a soft breath, letting a tugging smile wash over his face.

"Angel?" She breathlessly whispered his name definitely not expecting to see him here. "What are you doing here?"

Angelus stood from the chair and slowly approached her. "Giles is tracking down a doctor for an update." He stated.

Silently, Buffy nodded her head and stepped into his arms. All of the thoughts that were just plaguing her mind suddenly melted away when Angelus' arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly. She closed her eyes and softly sighed feeling his lips gently brush over her hair.

"How long have you been here?" Buffy asked, drawing her head back to look at him.

Angelus touched her cheek with his hand and replied, "All day. Giles called not long after you left. They found a shadow and booked an OR right away for biopsy to find out exactly what it was—"

"—Why didn't anyone call me?" Buffy stepped out of his arms with annoyed to be left in the dark.

"No one wanted you to worry." He fell under her glare knowing he wasn't telling the whole truth. "I didn't want to worry you."

Buffy frowned, "What does that mean?"

"I told Giles to not call you." Angelus stuffed his hands into his pockets watching her face transition from worry to anger. "I… couldn't bear to see that look on your face… The one you have on right now. After the night and day, we shared… The happiness I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

Buffy's hard expression softened feeling herself sink deeper into affection for him. She took a small step forward and rested a hand on his arm, "I understand. But you can't do that. You can't make decisions about me without me. And you can't keep things like this from me. This is never going to work if you keep doing that."

Angelus lifted his eyes to her face with a look of surprise. He half expected her to yell at him and storm away. But she didn't. Angelus wrapped his hand over hers that was on his arm and brought her hand to his lips. Buffy cupped his cheek and took a small step closer to him. She lifted her chin meeting his mouth halfway for a gentle kiss.