By: Lucey

Email:littlelucey@web.de

Disclaimer: no, don´t own them

Rating: goes to R in this part

Pairing: B/A

Distribution: tell me where it´s going!

AN: Lyrics are still from Bryan Adams *sigh*

Feedback: please keep sending me feedback, I love it :o)

Dedication: Big hug for HannahBee for all the work she had with our site, hope it´s online soon :o), to Netti: we´ll cheer him up, send the girls! *lol*!

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Part 3

//i´m trying to concentrate but all i can think of is you//

After he heard her cries ebb, Angel went to bed himself. His leg hurt and the confusion about the latest events followed him into his sleep. He'd been an inch away from being dust. Forget his redemption, forget the good fight, forget shanshu and forget seeing Buffy ever again. But she had saved him. Like she always did, physically or just because she walked this planet. She was his light.

Exhaustion took over, as did the dreams. Dreams of *her*.

Same *her* was sleeping only feet away. It wasn't a peaceful slumber. Countless times she awoke from a new nightmare. Nightmares of losing him. Seeing him turn to dust in the sunlight, dragged away from her with force. She was failing every time she tried to save him. The last she saw were his accusing eyes, telling of her failure. The last she heard was her name, whispered one last time.

Bathed in sweat she awoke, every time relieved to feel his presence. He wasn't dead. She'd saved him. For now. Finally she fell into a deeper sleep.

It was late afternoon when Buffy awoke anew. She felt much more rested and ready to face the next step. After a shower she grabbed the road map, trying to decide where to go next. San Bernardino was too close to LA. The police would be searching for them now. After all they were hunting a supposed killer and a woman who knocked out an officer while breaking him out.

Her eyes scanned the map. It had to be something small, not too far away. After all Spike´s car wasn't the trustworthiest. Finally her eyes settled on Bodie. A small town at the border to Nevada. Bodie? She remembered her Dad telling her stories when she was little, about a ghost town called Bodie. As she grew up she'd taken it as a fairy tale, but now Buffy started to doubt that.

A ghost town, as a hiding place for a vampire and a slayer. Seemed perfect.

After she had dried her hair, Buffy decided to check on Angel. She wanted to leave as soon as possible, he'd better be ready. Slowly she walked towards the door that separated the two rooms, carefully listening to any sounds. He was probably taking a shower as well.

Carefully she opened the door and peeped inside. The room was as dark as possible and Angel was still lying in bed. Her breath stopped for a second as she realized that he was halfnaked. The sheets were only covering his lower body, revealing his shirtless form. Although she'd seen him like this many times before, the sight never failed to effect her. And he'd even become more muscular since the last time. Unconsciously she licked her lips.

Suddenly he shifted a bit and she quickly withdrew form the room, blushing like a teenager.

Stop drooling Buffy! She scolded herself. Think about something ugly! Adam...

OhGod! Riley! He was reaching Sunnydale in an hour and she had promised to pick him up. He'd told her that he already had planned something special for tonight. And now she was hunted by the police, far away from Sunnydale and with halfnaked A....don't go there!

How would she explain things to Riley?

//hey baby -  we´re old enough to know it´s a sin

hey baby – the door is open slide on in//

Angel heard the door close behind her and smiled softly. He'd felt her as soon as she had peeped into the room, pulling him out of his dreams. Putting on his pants, he followed her and knocked on the door.

After a few seconds her slightly shaky voice answered his request.

"Yeah?"

"Can I come in?" He stuck his head into the room.

"Sure, yeah. I..uhm...I don't have to invite you, right?"

"No.", he chuckled. "It's ok."

She frowned as she saw him limp into the room, leaning against a drawer. Apparently his leg did still hurt. Try not to look at his chest. Try! Why didn't he put on a shirt?

The moment he realized her slight embarrassment, he felt embarrassed, too. Where did his behavior go? What did he think, waltzing into her room without a shirt?

But she smiled at him. "So, slept well?"

"Actually, yes." Thank god I can't blush. "You?"

"Ok.", she replied. He didn't have to know about her nightmares, right? The times where she would have told him were over.

"Let me look at you leg." What did I say? More naked Angel? Oh my...

"What?", he sounded startled. She wanted him to take even more of his clothes off?

"You're hurt, Angel. Just let me check if you need anything."

"Buffy, I'm fine. Really."

"Don't be a baby, Angel. I won't hurt you."

He only chuckled slightly. As if *that* was what he was worried about.

"I take that as a yes. Sit on the bed."

He did as she requested, surprised as she started to laugh.

"You have to take your pants of, you noticed that?"

"Oh. Sure. Of course." Great, moron. It's not like she hasn't seen you like this before!

He pulled down his pants quickly, left only in his boxers.

//well i´m wrapped around your finger//

Her cheeks flushed as she slowly came closer and kneeled down on the floor beside him. The wound in his thigh looked nasty, but it was closed and had started to heal already. Her eyes inspected it with the knowledge of a warrior and the gentleness of a lover. Her hands softly inspected the flesh and skin, like a whispered caress. How cool he was. How smooth his skin. God, she'd almost forgotten.

Angel held his unnecessary breath as she started to touch him. Her warm hands set him on fire...oh no...more than he wanted to. Trying a mantra he forced all his will to not react to her touch. But the bulge in his boxers grew almost on its own. Please make her not realize it. Pleasepleaseplease.

But her eyes had already come to rest on his hardened member, widening in shock and surprise. Her hands flew away from him, leaving his skin yearning for more. Then, suddenly she moved again. Stroking his leg, carefully avoiding the wound, her hands inched towards the edge of his boxers. It seemed to take her painfully long until her right hand finally reached his groin, gently whispering caresses to the silk she was touching. Angel reacted instantly and grew even harder as she finally started stroking him through the material. Shy, but determined. So much gentleness in one gesture.

He fell back on the bed, hissing in pleasure.

" Oh god, Buffy...".

Then, suddenly her hands were gone. Before he could blink Buffy had scooted across the room, shocked by what had just happened. Ohmygod. What did I do? What did I think? Ohmygod.

"Buffy, I...", he wanted to calm her, tell her it was ok, but she flinched at his words.

"Angel, I'm sorry. This shouldn't have happened." She whispered and then ran out of the room, into the retreating sunlight, where he couldn't follow.

Angel sighed in defeat and limped back to his own room. He really needed a cold shower now.

Buffy ran out into the sun, leaning against the next wall, trying to understand what just happened. Why did she lose control like that? Why did he react like that. They both knew....well. Hadn't it been always that way? They both knew and nevertheless, things happened.

Oh boy.

Two hours later she returned to her room. She'd just checked the front pages of the newspapers. Apparently they weren't big enough for page 1. Well. Good for them.

Angel heard her enter and walked over, now fully clothed. Worry and regret filled him. He shouldn't have lost control like that.

"Buffy..."

She avoided his face.

"Buffy, look, I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me."

"No. I'm sorry. I'm the one who took advantage. I'm the one with the boyfriend, Angel!"

Right. Boyfriend. Riley. Focus on Riley. Both thought in unison.

"So, are you ready? I think we have to leave now."

"Where?"

"Oh, I´ll tell you on the way. Kinda a funny story.", she tried a joke to loosen the tension.

"Ok, I'm ready." He replied.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, there's blood in your bag. I hope it's not..."

"Thanks, I...already found it earlier."

"Good. Now...let's go."

//is there anybody out there?//

While Buffy and Angel were on the highway again, moving away from Sunnydale, Riley Finn arrived town. During the whole flight he had been nervous, rethinking his plans for the evening again. She would pick him up, they would have dinner. Then he would ask her to marry him and afterwards...well he hoped for more.

But as he left the plane, he was alone. No Buffy. He waited for half an our before he called for a cab. What happened? Did she had trouble on patrol?

Half angry, half worried he directed the driver to Giles´ place. He'd sure know where to find Buffy.

But as Willow opened the door for him, there was no Buffy either.

"Where's Buffy?"

tbc...