Xander tapped his foot impatiently. Cordelia was late. And he was missing the beginning of the planned scoobie meeting. He let out a pained sigh. Of course, he had been the one that insisted on calling Cordy in the first place. For some reason that automatically meant she was forced into taking him to the library.

His mind screamed that he had been the one who *wanted* to call his ex. Even though he couldn't stand being in the same room as her, he couldn't let any of the others do the calling thing. It was pathetic. Even though he and Cordelia had broken up, they both liked to show just how much they had moved on.

He heard her car squeal to a halt in front of his house. That was his Cordy, always a danger to society. He practically ran out of the house, a deep scowl on his face. "Cordelia," he observed, "glad to see that you pulled yourself out of your own world long enough to remember the other people in it."

.

She shrugged, looking with mild boredom at her nails. "I was busy," she answered simply.

"Actually," Xander retorted, "I'm impressed that you were able to look up from painting your nails to…" he trailed off, noticing that they were sort of surrounded. By really, really, ugly vampire guys. He gulped. "Um… Cordy?"

"What?" she snapped, looking at him angrily. Xander pointed behind her, where four vampires were licking their lips and snarling. She turned slowly around, already prepared for the worst. Shrieking, she reached into her purse and yanked out a cross, which she never left home without, and held it out in front of her blindly.

Xander rolled his eyes and grabbed her elbow. They vampires jumped back, growling in annoyance, before obviously deciding that the cross didn't pose much threat. They leapt at the pair and Xander dragged Cordy as fast as he could to her car.

The two clambered in through the passenger door, Xander slamming the door on the hand of one of the vamps. He gave a quick look at Cordelia who was fumbling through her purse for her keys. The car shook and Xander looked at the roof in nervous trepidation. Loud scrapping noises confirmed what he'd already expected.

Xander sucked in a breath. "Any time now would be really great!" he muttered, watching with wide eyes as a vampire prepared to break in the back, right window. Cordelia emerged triumphant with her keys and looked at Xander questioningly. "GO!" he yelled.

They went.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In the library Buffy paced nervously. "They should be here by now," she mumbled, looking at her watch again. The sun had gone down almost an hour ago and so far there had been no sign of Xander, Cordelia, or Angel.

"Buffy, don't worry. I'm sure that Xander and Cordelia are just off arguing together or something," Willow murmured soothingly.

"And Angel is more than capable of taking care of himself," Giles added.

Buffy nodded, running a hand through her limp hair. "Yeah, I know." She slumped down in a chair and tried to calm her frayed nerves. "I'm just extra wigged this time."

"I say they get at least another 10 minute before sending out the search party." Oz said.

Willow shared a smile with him. "They're smart enough to survive on their own for 10 minutes."

"Right, be patient," Buffy sighed. Her head suddenly snapped up, "Wait… we are talking about Xander and Cordelia."

"What about Xander and Cordelia?"

Willow looked up in indifference. "We're worried about you guys out there alone… hey! You guys!" she turned to Oz, "It's Xander and Cordelia."

"We were attacked!" Cordelia shrieked. "Right in front of Xander's, too."

"We should get a warning next time." Xander humphed.

"It's called sunset!" Buffy hollered in frustration.

Xander blinked guiltily. "All I'm sayin' is you don't usually find vamps staking out a house."

"Yes, this is quite disconcerting. It seems that vampires have been getting more forward," Giles said.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "For such a dumb guy, you really do have moments of genius."

Giles frowned in her direction before turning back to Cordy and Xander. "Was there anything different about these vampires?"

Xander raised his eyebrows. "Next time I'll check to make sure they're 'normal' before running away."

"You forgot the screaming part," Cordelia interjected, "never forget the yelling like the girl."

Xander grinned. "If I remember right… and I'm pretty sure that I am… I wasn't the one who was doing all the screaming."

Cordelia immediately turned back to Giles. "Different, you asked?"

"Yes, well… was there anything… abnormal?"

Buffy glanced at Willow. "He hasn't found out anything, has he?"

Willow pressed a finger to her lips. "Shhhh," she whispered, "he's getting all uptight about it, too."

"Super, evil chick wasn't there, if that's what you mean," Xander said. "Actually, it was pretty chick free."

Cordelia made a face. "You usually check for chick vampires first?"

He hefted his chin. "I'm just sayin'…" Xander glanced around, frowning, "Where's Dead Boy?"

Buffy scowled. "Don't call him that."

Xander sighed, taking a seat next to Willow. "I always get yelled at."

She patted his head sympathetically, "I can't imagine why."

Buffy paced with her arms folded across her chest. "We don't know where he is, Xander," she snapped. "If we did, he'd be here."

Angel walked into the library.

"Dramatic irony, much?" Cordelia demanded to no one in particular.

"You do have impeccable timing," Giles agreed, looking the vampire over. "Dear lord, what happened?"

Buffy jumped up, twitching nervously, and trying desperately to pretend that she wasn't as worried as she really was. That was how things were with them. A constant game of pretending, keeping up the presence that their love didn't consume all rational thought.

Angel gulped, moving over to their center table. Oz moved from his seat, and Angel sunk into it gratefully. Buffy licked her dry lips, tried to keep her hands from shaking. He had been a fight… or a hundred. Usually a strong, undefeatable man, the cuts marring Angel's body made him seem old and fragile.

"I was in a fight," he said, off the worried looks of everyone else.

"Thank you, Mr. Obvious," Xander said, his eyes examining Angel up and down. "What did you do? Let them tie you to a tree and throw holy water at you?"

"Xander, shut up," Buffy snapped, hands trembling slightly.

Angel raised his eyes to hers, held them. "I've been in worse, give me a few moments and I'll be fine."

"Bandages!" she cried, glancing frantically at Giles. "He needs bandages." Giles nodded, disappearing into his office and rummaging around.

Angel have her a small smile, holding out his hand, she grasped it gratefully, trying to convey all her worry through their simple touch that she couldn't do aloud. "I'm fine," he murmured softly. "Really."

She nodded absently, and Angel could tell that she hadn't heard a thing that he'd said. Giles came back with gauze and anti-bacterial cream and Buffy accepted it gratefully. Angel raised an eyebrow in her direction when she squirted some cream on a piece of bandage. "Vampires don't actually get infections…"

Buffy gave him a glare. "You're point?" she snapped.

Angel looked up, noticed how Willow, Xander, Cordelia, Giles, and even Oz were staring at them with interest. "I can do it," he told her firmly, taking the gauze strip from her hands.

She closed her eyes, took a step back. It was better that way. If she pretended that she didn't care as much as she really did. She cleared her throat. "Patrolling?"

Xander rubbed his hands together. "Sounds good, I just can't wait to get beat up."

"Xander!" Willow hissed.

Cordelia frowned. "I'm bored. What does this have to do with me?"

Buffy sighed. "No splitting up, understood? I want you guys to check the usuals, abandoned buildings and dark allies."

"We could probably cover more ground if we split up," Willow pointed out reasonably.

Buffy grinned and pointed a hand at her vampire boyfriend. "Really want to look like that? And not have vampire strength to help you out?"

"Good," Cordelia agreed. "Safety in numbers. Sounds perfect to me."

"It would," Xander muttered into his hand.

Giles made an "ahem" sound in the back of his throat, and they all turned obediently to look at him. "I'll stay here, and, ahh, research, I suppose."

Oz nodded. "Wise decision."

Xander glanced at Buffy and the recovering Angel. "And you two will be patrolling where?"

Angel glared at him, not missing the antagonism in his voice. "Where else, but the graveyards of Sunnydale?"

"How romantic," Buffy muttered under her breath and hoped no one heard her. Except, of course, for Angel, who shot her a wounded look.

"Fine, great, I'll patrol, I'll get demon goop in my hair, I'll protect the world from demons… whatever. But I will *not* go in Oz's van," Cordelia declared.

"What's wrong with Oz's van?" Willow demanded.

"Well," Cordelia wrinkled her nose, "it smells bad."

"I'm sorry Cordy, next time we'll try and order that limousine to go vampire fighting," Xander retorted with false sincerity.

"Actually, that's a fair comment." Oz said calmly. Buffy wasn't sure if he was talking about what Cordelia said or what Xander said. Apparently neither did anyone else, as a long penetrating silence proved. He obviously realized the same thing because he added, "Well, when you travel in a band with other guys, neatness isn't a high priority." Buffy still wasn't sure whose side he was on, but she didn't press the issue.

"But we can't all fit in Cordelia's car!" Willow argued.

Buffy sighed, they weren't going anywhere fast "Come on," she said to Angel, "they could argue over this all night." Angel nodded and followed her out of the library.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Wow, did anyone else notice the forwardness of the undead population this evening?" Buffy asked in bewilderment.

In answer, Angel paced back in forth, looking almost like he was going to tread a hole in the floor. "I don't like this Buffy." Angel non-replied seriously.

She sighed. That was her honey, always willing to lend a comforting word. They had patrolled most of the graveyards of Sunnydale and the vampire population definitely thought that it was the undead's night out. While vampires usually weren't smart enough to actually avoid the slayer… they tended to be somewhat cautious around her. *Used* to be somewhat cautious around her.

Of course, despite the rather large amounts of undead demons they'd fought, most had gotten the pointy end of the stick. Still, even uber-warriors had their limits, and they were fairly worse for the wear. So since the mansion was the closest (relatively) safe place, they had come here to rest and catch up with Giles. Buffy was relieved to hear that her friends, without encountering a single vampire, had decided that they were bored hours ago and decided to go home and rest.

She figured their non-encounter with the usual blood-thirsty vamps meant one of two things. The undead realized that dark hallways and abandoned buildings were as dank and dreary as normal people thought they were, or sticking near the slayer was the newest fun thing to do. Buffy didn't know which one made less sense.

She took a glance at her brooding vampire, saw the dire look of consequence on his face. She felt her stomach to a small flip-flop, she knew that he was worried… for her. But she wished that he could look up, maybe notice that she was slightly perturbed herself and promise that everything was going to be all right.

Finally, as if sensing Buffy's distress, Angel came over and wrapped his arms around her thin waist. He pulled her close, and Buffy rested her head on his shoulder, seeking the comfort that only his embrace held.

"I should go home," she told him. "Mom's probably freaking."

He rubbed his hands over her back, trying to calm the pressure that he could feel building there. "You can't, it's too dangerous."

She snorted. "Look at me, the fierce slayer, hiding away like some coward."

"Buffy…" his voice was slightly pained, and she knew that he could feel her pain, that he could understand it perfectly. "We did the best we could." He tilted her chin up, looking deep in her eyes. He felt a slight guilt rest on his shoulders, he knew he should tell her about the strong presence of evil that he could feel building… that was coming for her. "We can't help anyone if we're dead."

And he would never, ever, let her die.

Buffy snuggled sleepily against him, and he began to feel her relax. She was tired and quickly losing battle against her body's need to sleep. "I love you."

He closed her eyes, it was always painful when he heard her utter those three simple words. "I love you too, Buffy." And he did, more so than she could probably ever know. "You need to lie down for a while."

"Mmm sleep…" her voice trailed off, and she looked up at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I may need someone to warm the bed for me, though." She frowned, "Or cool the bed for me… vampires are pretty much cold blooded, right?"

"Buffy…" Angel sighed. What was she suggesting?

Buffy giggled at that. "Angel, we can sleep together without actually sleeping together, you know."

A small smile crept across his handsome face. "I've heard that vampires can actually be quite good at warming up a bed," he said slyly.

Her face lit up, and she took his hand, tugging him into his bedroom. "Don't go getting any ideas," she chastised. "Just sleep."

Angel wasn't sure if she was reminding him or herself. Probably the both of them. It was always hard to be together and not want… more. Still, despite his better intentions, he pushed her down onto his mattress, curled himself around her, and held on. He wasn't sure if he was doing it for comfort or to protect her. No doubt it was somewhat a mixture of both.

He felt her melt against him, her breathing becoming deeper as he played gently with the tips of her blonde hair. He studied her intently as she began to sleep, a small smile creeping across his face when she began to snore. He never had the heart to tell her that she snored. While it would no doubt horrify her, it only made her more endearing to him, one more tie to the humanity that he could never hope to have.

He surveyed the room one last time, decided that they were safe. Wrapping his body more tightly across Buffy(his mate)he began to relax himself. His eyes closed and the last thought that crossed his mind was about how beautiful she was lying there. How the demons and darkness that she usually carried around with her seemed to fall off in her sleep.

TBC