Summary: It's 1968 and Angel has found a moment of perfect happiness. Just what it means for Buffy remains to be seen. Not happy with the title, so this may change. Will take place at the beginning of Buffy/Season 2, but will deviate from original story line. Almost totally AU. Buffy/Angelus

Disclaimers: Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon own it all. I'm just doing this for fun, and hopefully entertainment

1997

Pacing in her room while waiting for the right time to sneak out, Buffy thought about the past few months. Since taking care of the Master, the summer had past uneventfully on the Hellmouth. Thankfully so as she needed a little break after dying and all. Buffy had returned from a summer visit with her father with a nice new wardrobe and a relationship that left a lot to be desired. At least she had come to terms with the master and her father, progress. It had been a difficult time, but with Giles, Willow and Xander, she had come through it.

So, here she was, two months into her junior year at Sunnydale High, Principal Snyder still the world's biggest ass and all she wanted was to find a little normalcy in her life. Maybe a boyfriend? Okay, maybe not. After all, how fair would it be to bring a high school boy into the drama called her life? She just hoped there would not be major apocalypse in the foreseeable future and she might be able to stay on top of her studies. Buffy often wondered if other slayers had to contend with high school and try to hide their calling from a nagging mom.

She felt itchy tonight. Anticipation, yeah that was the feeling. And try as she might to deny it, it felt good, well maybe not good, but not really bad. Just something she couldn't put her finger on. Something was coming. Giles was always on her to listen to her slayer intuition and right now it was going crazy. Excited and scared, but in a really weird, good way. A change was coming, and wasn't change good?

Buffy listened at her door to make sure her mom was in bed. She had to head over to Sunnyrest Cemetery this evening. There appeared to be one little guy who was up for some undead action tonight. Fledglings were easy to handle, so she should be home in time to finish her history paper. Reaching for Mr. Pointy, she jumped out the window.

Since moving to Sunnydale, Buffy hadn't burnt down a single building, but she wasn't doing as well as Joyce would have liked. And all summer she had been distant, even Hank had noticed and for him to pick up on something like that meant it was pretty blaring. And now, with fall turning soon into winter, things weren't all that better. And not one thing Joyce could point her finger at and say 'Ah ha!'. But Buffy was keeping something from her and she was going to find out what. So, here she was, in the middle of the night, following her only child to a cemetery of all places. Please God, don't let her belong to some strange cult. And what the heck was she doing climbing out of her window? Was this a regular activity for her daughter? Buffy was going to have quite a bit of explaining to do once Joyce found out what she up to.

Buffy walked over to the fresh burial plot, pulled out her stake and waited, thinking a few 16 year old thoughts as well as some soon to be seventeen year old ones. And a few slayer thoughts as well, for good measure.

She sensed the footsteps before she actually heard them. Giles would be so pleased. She stood, holding her stake in front of her, her stance a fighting one.

Joyce was unsure of what to do next as she saw the three young men and a young girl approach her daughter. She could only sink to the ground in shock as she saw the faces of these four creatures change before her eyes, becoming something Joyce had never seen in her life.

The next few moments were a blur for her as she watched her daughter give the athletic performance of her life. Buffy kicked, punched, twirled and jabbed, turning two of the monsters to dust almost immediately.

Buffy fell to the ground, swinging her legs around to drop the remaining male with a thud. As she was about to plunge the stake into his chest, the female pounced on her back, bringing Joyce out of her trance. She looked around and picked up a tree branch, running towards them, intending to smash the bitch that had her daughter by the hair.

What neither she nor Buffy had noticed was the newly risen fledgling, thirsting for his first meal. He lunged at Joyce, causing her to trip and scream.

Buffy had finally flipped the stupid bitch off her back in time to see her mother hit the ground with the newbie hovering above her. She gave a kick at the girl on the ground before she found her dropped stake and made a mad dash.

"Mom!"

Angelus had watched this whole scene unfold before him from his hiding place in a near-by mausoleum. This was one strong slayer, her small stature belying all that power. And she was so young and hot! Immediately drawn to her he knew his decision to come to Sunnydale was the right one. Although his thoughts were not of killing her, no. He had no doubts in his ability to make her his, and then her could crush her, if he chose. He could most certainly have some fun here, he smirked.

So, the older woman was her mother. Curiouser and curiouser. The slayer most likely wouldn't be able to handle the demons and protect her mother at the same time. He had to chuckle to himself. Things just seemed to go his way.

He made it to Joyce first, Buffy being hindered by one of the vamps. Angelus pulled Joyce up and pushed her out of the way before he snapped the neck of the fledgling, turning him to dust. He turned in time to see the slayer running towards him and her mother, the two vamps hot on her heels.

"Duck!" he yelled.

Not really knowing why she trusted this stranger, Buffy fell to the ground as Angelus punched his fist through the demon's face. As he fell, Buffy twirled and planted her stake through his heart. The female skidded to a stop and turned to make a run for it, but before she could take a step, Angelus had pulled out a dagger and threw it at her, hitting his mark andturning herto dust, as well.

Buffy got to her feet and took a really good look at her mother's rescuer. He was so big she had to crane her neck up to see his face. So big and so gorgeous, she thought.

At the same time Angelus looked down at her. So small and so hot, he thought for the second time.

Looking into each other's eyes, time seemed to stop for a moment for the both of them. Angel was the first to snap out of the trance. Okay, he thought in confusion, that wasn't good.

"I…" Buffy stammered, "I…don't know…"

Angelus chuckled, quickly regaining his composure, a sexy half grin crossing his face. "You're welcome. Better take care of your mom."

"Oh my god! Mom!" She couldn't believe she had forgotten about her mother. Running to her, Buffy wasn't sure how to explain the night's exploits, she was just grateful her mom was still alive.

"Mom? Are you okay?" Her voice filled with concern and just a twinge of fear.

Joyce lifted a hand to her daughter's face. "Buffy, I just don't understand. What was, what is all this?"

Buffy turned to find her beautiful savior gone. Typical, she thought. She turned back to her mother. "This is my life", she simply stated.