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"Are we all agreed?" Angel finally finished describing his plan to his team. "Its a good plan." He defended as they all looked at him as if he'd sprouted another head, which admittedly was not entirely impossible, but still. "C'mon guys, this is all we have."

"I know," Cordelia, sighed, "We'll do it, but it's very risky, particularly for you Angel."

Wesley nodded, "I agree with Cordelia Angel, but as the only way I would be completely happy facing this lot is from the inside of a tank with half an army beside me this plan will have to do."

"So lets do it." Angel said grimly as he snatched up his axe, "Remember you lot, if I don't make it out you take Doyle and scram. If I can't get myself out then you probably won't be able to get me out either. Clear?"

Cordelia and Fred exchanged brief glances before they both hid their hands behind their backs; crossed their fingers and promised. Wesley and Gunn nodded their agreement too, entirely without meaning it. If Angel got into trouble, then they were all in the trouble with him.

Angel nodded in satisfaction and was about to move towards the doors when Buffy's voice drawled sarcastically, "Well isn't this nice."

"Buffy!" gasped three voices.

"Anne?" murmured another.

Fred just looked on in bemusement.

"Bingo! You guys are right on the ball tonight even if you do officially have a very crazy plan."

"You heard?" Croaked Angel.

"Every damn word."

"We can explain." began Wesley hastily. But Buffy cut him off with a fierce glare and a wave of her free hand.

"I'm sure you could dream up some very interesting and possibly even convincing explanations but I don't think we have time for that, after all it is only two days until the stars align and the biggest half blood massacre ever will be under way and Doyle will be one of the dead."

"How did you know that?" Angel exclaimed.

"The stars align in two days?" Wesley asked.

"What's with the outfit?!" Cordelia screeched.

"Damn!" said Gunn.

Fred just stared.

Buffy burst out laughing, "Hey Gunn! Are these the crazies who pay you? Cordelia, this is my butt-kicking outfit, Wesley yes the stars align in two days - I have it on good authority, but why waste time waiting for the night when we could attack them right now?"

"Uh? We?" Wesley asked nervously, I don't think you quite know what you're getting into Buffy."

"Yes I do and yes we." Buffy replied firmly, "He's my brother and I'm rescuing him. I know what I'm doing."

"You should listen to the lady Wes." Gunn advised shaking his head.

"But..."

Buffy stared hard at Wesley and Cordelia until they seemed inclined to be quiet, she flashed Gunn a grin and stepped towards Angel, "Angel, in answer to your question, I accidentally saw a little of your research materials, asked a friend to do some research of his own and I made a few little deductions, then I listened on the stairs for ages just now to see if my suspicions were right, it seems that they were, so here I am waiting to be grafted into your crazy scheme."

"Buffy, you can't get involved in this. Its too dangerous."

"Danger is my middle name," she winked at Gunn, "well actually it's Anne but y' know what I mean. I'm a big girl and I can handle this." She pulled the crossbow from under her coat while still keeping the sword hidden. "I fancy myself to be a pretty good shot with this." She eyed Angel as he took in the black metal of the crossbow with the delicate wisps of silver on it and realization hit him.

"You?" he murmured.

"Me. And, by the way I didn't hear you complaining about my intervention then!"

"You were Angel's mystery helper?" Gasped Wesley.

Buffy nodded, "Give the man a prize."

"I don't understand, I mean you saw. What I am. Why didn't you kill me?"

"That's not who you are though right?"

Angel looked mystified. Buffy groaned and dragged out her sword and pointed it at him.

Gunn sniggered. Fred looked on wide-eyed as she clutched his arm.

"Listen up and listen good, cos I'm only gonna say all this once. You're a vampire, big whoop. I don't care. My best friend is a Wicca and she turned my hair green the other day, her usually taciturn boyfriend is a werewolf who has to be chained up three nights a month because he thinks we're all nice cuts of meat. My other best friend was once possessed by malevolent hyena spirits and went all feral and has dated a giant praying mantis and an ancient Incan mummy girl that sucked people's life forces. He's now heavily involved with a sex obsessed ex-vengeance demon. My brother is a half demon and it took me ages to figure it out, but when I did it didn't matter cos I love him anyway. Angel, believe me when I say that you being a vampire doesn't particularly matter, it's not what you are but who you are that counts, besides I have enough very odd people in my life for one more weirdo to make no difference, I seem to be collecting them."

She looked at five very bemused faces and lowered the sword she had been waggling at Angel, "What?"

"Wow!" muttered Cordelia, "somebody has issues."

"Yeah, well you'd have issues if you were me. Angel will you promise not to freak if I tell you something."

Angel nodded, she knew what he was and she was still talking to him, this was going almost too well.

"Maybe I should sit on you or something, chain you up perhaps." Buffy looked at him worriedly.

"Spit it out." Wesley advised.

"Well, I'm the slayer." She cringed and waited for the explosion, or the screaming sprint away from her. Instead nothing came, that was almost worse.

"Damn." She heard Gunn and Wesley mutter together.

"The slayer?" Angel managed to gulp out as he turned away and began walking towards the library. He was in love with a woman who was technically his archenemy. Fate had a really bizarre sense of humour sometimes. He threw himself into his favourite chair feeling unsure whether he should be rejoicing or brooding. She knew about vampires and wasn't scared by them but unfortunately she was also the slayer. Big stumbling block; massive in fact. He sat staring into space until a few minutes later when Buffy entered the room looking upset.

"Angel?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you hate me? Cause I kinda figured we'd have a lot in common,"

That got his attention, "I don't hate you Buffy. But I'm a vampire and you're a vampire slayer."

"I think we already established that," she returned pertly. "Angel I just figured that you don't really fit into the evil demon world and I don't really fit into the normal human world and we both fight the same war. Plus I thought we got on pretty well when it was just us with no slayer or vampire labels."

"Speaking of Doyle we should."

"Two days until the stars align remember? A few more minutes won't kill him; you're not wiggling away just yet. I want us to be friends Angel, to go back to how we were before we learned each other's secrets."

"Speaking of secrets Buffy, you don't know what I've done in my past. If you knew, you wouldn't want to be around me."

"So tell me?" Buffy settled herself firmly opposite him. "Explain."

Angel did. He told her everything he could think of that could possibly scare her off but she sat listening, prodding and absorbing the story of his sordid life before his soul.

Then when he looked up at her expecting to see disgust and revulsion in her eyes he saw only sadness. He was unprepared for her to stand up looking furious. "It wasn't your fault Angel, none of it. What the demon did has nothing to do with you and the only reason you feel remorse for those acts is because of your soul. That part that makes you the man you are wasn't even there when those acts were committed. So don't waste time beating yourself up about things you had no control over."

Angel stared.

"So are you going to be friends with me or what?"

Angel smiled slightly; she was nothing if not persistent.

Angel steeled himself, she did have a point, but to be friends wasn't exactly what he wanted despite everything. "Okay, I can be friends with the slayer." He flashed a faint smile at her.

She rolled her eyes, "Friends." She said a little sadly.

Then she brightened, "So lets get this crazy show on the road and get Doyle back where he belongs."

Angel nodded his agreement and followed her across the room. Had her voice been ever so slightly strained as she agreed to be friends? She didn't have to be friends with him though, could there be another reason? He dismissed the stray thought impatiently, she was the slayer and she knew the worst of him and still wanted to be his friend, it was so much more than he deserved.

"You guys ready?" he heard Gunn holler.

"Yeah!" he returned.

"Lets go!" whooped Fred as she, Gunn, Cordelia and Wesley comically charged up the steps together laughingly brandishing their weapons.