Buffy woke up to the sound of screaming. She felt two strong arms firmly wrapped around her stomach. She sat up quickly out of his grasp, completely disoriented.\

"Angel!" she gasped.

"Good morning to you too." Angel said groggily.

"We slept together."

"Oh, yeah, was it good for you to?" he asked playfully. Then the previous nights' memories came flooding back.

"You butt," she said playfully punching his shoulder.

"Hey is that anyway to treat the guy who saved you from getting pnemonia?" she laughe. Angel leaned in to kiss her, but they were interrupted.

"EWWWWW!"

"Kathey, Connor, Go Away!" Angel yelled. Buffy could tell he wasn't really angry though. Angel loved his siblings more than anything.

"This is the living room, we have just as much right to be here as you," Connor said.

Connor was 8 year old. He had light brown hair and a tall, skinny body. Kathy was his twin but they were in no way identical. She looked more like Angel, with dark brown hair. She was also very short and petite.

"Ew Buffy! Were you really going to kiss Angel?" Kathy asked," because he has cooties!"

"That's it," Angel hollered. He then jumped off the couch and ran out of the room after a screaming and giggling Kathy.

The sight made Buffy smile. Then she noticed Connor was still standing there looking, suddenly, very bashful.

"Hey Connor, what's up?"

"Um…Buffy, it is good that you are back."

"it is?"

"Oh yea," he said, coming to sit down next to her.

"Why's that?"

"Because Angel was being a real pig head because you were gone."

Buffy laughed. "Well I promise I will be around a lot more to ensure no pig headedness."

Connor smiled, "Buffy?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know if Dawn is back from camp?"

"Ah, I don't… who's Dawn, Connor?"

"Duh, she's your…"

"CONNOR!" Kalie had just appeared in the doorway. "Your breakfest is ready, NOW!"

He got up before Buffy could say another word. As Connor walked off Buffy heard him quietly whisper, "Jeez, I forgot, sorry."

Well," Kalie said. Buffy could tell she was nervous. "I see you and Angel have reestablished sleeping arrangements."

"Aunt Kalie, nothing happened."

"Oh I know. Except now that you're older your mother and I will have to set some boundaries."

Buffy thought she was changing the subject to forcefully, "Aunt Kalie?"

"Yes, dear."

"Who's Dawn?" Kalie looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Really Buffy, don't let a little boy's nonsense talk affect you. Come on, get ready for school."

With that she left the room leaving an extremely puzzled Buffy behind her. Buffy began folding the blankets on the couch when Angel wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Angel stop!" she hissed.

"What's the matter?"

"Your mom already freaked about us sleeping next to each other. We cannot be affectionate inside your house, this situation is weird enough as it is." she left the room for the bathroom.

Her words sliced through Angel. How foolish he'd been to believe everything would be smooth for them. Silently he cursed himself.

When Buffy came bounding down the stairs for school Angel opened the door for her. She flashed him a flirty smile while careful not to come into physical contact.

'Well, it's a start,' Angel thought.

"The drive was made in relative silence. Angel could tell something was on her mind but decided not to push it. He only hoped she wasn't second guessing them.

Buffy's mind was far from Angel that morning. She couldn't shake off the odd encounter with Connor and Kalie. Who was this Dawn she wondered.

Angel stopped the car and walked to the other side, opening the door for her. Buffy couldn't help the slight blush at Angel's gentlemanly gesture. She decided to ask him about this girl, but in a split second changed her mind.

"Angel," he looked at her expectantly, " Never mind."

"You can tell me anything, Buffy," he said placing his hand on her bare arm.

She kissed his cheek, "I know."

Buffy walked off towards school leaving a smiling Angel in her wake. Neither cared they had had an audience of the most varied sorts. At one end of campus Cordelia was fuming at the sight. On the other end Xander wasn't faring much better.

Buffy sat down in her first period class to find a note taped to her desk.

Meet me by the 1st floor bathrooms, 8:42. Don't be late.

- Queen C

"You've got to be kidding me!" Buffy said aloud.

"What you got there B?"

"Faith," Buffy jumped in surprise to see the brunette sitting next to her, "You're in this class?"

"Nah, I wanted to see ya. I come to class so seldom the teachers don't know which class I'm in, and probably don't care much anyway. So what's the note say. Wouldn't be an Angel love note would it?"

"What do you know about Angel?"

"Calm down, you'd be surprised how much talking Spike will do when he's drunk."

"You and Spike, huh?" Buffy teased.

"Let's stay on topic, shall we? Who's the note from if it isn't Angel. 'Cuz I know from experience he can be quite the jealous type."

"Cordelia," Buffy responded allowing the 'from experience' statement to go by for the time being.

"What does the princess want now?"

"To meet me at the bathrooms at 8:40."

"Want any back up."

"I shouldn't need it."

"Don't stress, I'll be waiting in the wings just in case. Besides I would never pass up the chance to take a crack at Ol' Miss Chase.

Buffy smiled and class started.

At 8:42 Buffy left class to go to the bathroom. Faith had left sometime before and hadn't returned. Cordelia was already at the arranged meeting place when Buffy arrived.

"You're late."

"So sorry to keep you waiting."

"Congratulations."

"On what?"

"Snatching Angel of course, don't play dumb."

"This is why I'm here. Oh I so don't have time for this." Buffy said turning her back and starting to walk away.

"Did you ask him about the dance?" Buffy stopped and sighed. "I will be May Queen and he will be my king."

"Your point?"

"It's tradition for the king and queen to attend as a couple."

"Angel couldn't care less about your Sunnydale traditions. You have nothing over me, Cordelia."

"Maybe. Point is if you think I couldn't get Angel back any time I wanted…"

"Yes, you couldn't get Angel back, because he was never yours, Cordelia."

"And yet who did he come to as soon as you left?"

"And yet who did he run to as soon a I came back? The only way Angel would ever spend time with you is if he was forced to and even then he'd put up a fight."

As Buffy walked away she missed the sudden gleeful look on Cordelia's face.

'I am not done by a long-shot,' Cordelia thought as she dialed a familiar number. "Hello Daddy. How long has it been since we've had Mr. O'Brien over for dinner?"

As Buffy passed the door to the broom closet a pair of bodies fell out. Buffy looked down in surprise at an equally surprised Faith and Spike.

Buffy cocked an eyebrow.

"What can I say, the girl likes it rough," Spike said.

Faith rolled her eyes, "Did I miss it?" she asked.

"Yeah, but it was no biggy. You alright?"

"Five by five."
"What ever that means," Spike muttered earning a hit and a heated kiss from Faith. Too soon were they engrossed in each other and Buffy made her escape.

At lunch Buffy made her way to the spot Willow's group normally hung out and found them all there. Upon sitting down she could feel the tension and recognized it was directed at her. After several seconds Buffy could no longer take it.

"What!" she exclaimed. Everyone at the table shifted, but no one spoke.

"This is ridiculous, "Willow finally said, "Xander saw you kiss Angel today."

"You were spying on me!" Buffy yelled.

"Kinda hard to miss when you're mating in the school parking lot," Xander defended.

"Jeez Xander, prudish much?"

"So Buffy is it true?" They all looked at her expectantly. Before Buffy could answer Xander went off on another rant. "I cannot believe you have the nerve to hook up with this guy. You have no idea of the hell he put us through because of you."

"You're right Xander, I don't know. I wasn't here and frankly I don't care anymore. You are extremely redundant and obviously jealous and I am sick and tired of hearing about it." the group was silent. Buffy saw Angel walking across the quad and marched right up to him. She kissed him square on the lips without a word and he was only too eager to respond.

Xander was speechless. Both Willow and Fred were in a fit of excited giggles. The only one who spoke was Gunn, "it's about time."

It was several moments later when Doyle finally broke Buffy and Angel's kiss. "Don't you two need to breath?"

Buffy blushed and buried her face in Angel's chest. He put his arms around her with a big grin on his face.

"It isn't going to be easy." Buffy said looking him in the eyes.

"I'm willing to tough it out if you are?"

Buffy smiled and took his hand.

After school Angel was in a rush to get her home. Buffy had hoped for more kissage but Angel had his mind set.

"Buffy, I promised your mom I would get you home right after school. I will not start off on my girlfriend's mother's bad side."

"Angel, you've known my mom all your life."

"This is different."

He dropped her off promising to call her later and Buffy walked into her house. When she walked in her mother was in the living room with guests. There was Mr. Giles, her elementary school librarian and on the couch was a young girl, about Connor's age with long brown hair and pale skin.

"Buffy I'm glad you're home." Joyce rose to hug her daughter. "Now I have two announcements. One, this is Dawn," she indicated pointing to the little girl, "she is your adopted little sister. And this is Mr. Giles, my fiancee."