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This is a problem Angelus couldn't help but thought as she walked up to him.

She moved slowly as if she did any sudden moves he would vanish, just like before only that it was Gunn and not him that did that. She stood in front of him, looking at him like she knew him beyond thoughts or dreams. She raised a hand and he let her brush it against his cheek. She let out a small sigh of relief, knowing that he really was there. His skin was soft and smooth as if it was made of silk and they couldn't help but feel a crackle of energy between them.

"Is this real?" Buffy asked "Or is this a dream"

"It's real" Angelus said swallowing hard as her hand brushed lower.

"Why couldn't you…" Buffy began but let the words swirl in the air.

"There are rules" Angelus said "One of them being that we can't be seen"

"I guess you broke that one huh?" Buffy said "What's gonna happen to you?"

"Nothing, you see if one side gets involved the other side can too" Angelus explained.

"Why did you appear in my dream?" Buffy said, resting her hand against his chest.

"You were crying in your sleep, I tried to soothe you with my touch but you still cried" Angelus said as he looked away "So I held you, whispered gentle words to set you mind in peace and once stopped, I didn't want to let go because…" Angelus looked back at her "…you wouldn't let go either"

"So you wanted to talk to me" Buffy said.

"At first but then you got a little…" Angelus said letting the rest of the sentence in the air as he smirked a little.

"Hey!" she playfully smacked him in the chest, smiling at him "I was in dream world! How am I suppose to control myself?" she couldn't understand it but she felt she could open up to him and he would keep her safe and warm, beyond his angelic touch.

"I did" Angelus said.

"Hello what were you doing at the end of the dream? Hmm? I remember someone's certain lips coming to mine" Buffy said.

"I think you'll be finding it was the other way round" Angelus said then leaned in to whisper in her ear "Weren't you the one that said let me give you something?"

"Well that's not the point" Buffy flustered as she took a step back only to have Angelus follow every step she took away from him.

"Isn't it?" Angelus said.

"No" Buffy said, trying to sound convincing but only to sound small.

"Hmm, I thinks someone's lying" Angelus said in a sing song voice.

"I am not" Buffy determined.

"So why did you wanted to kiss me?" Angelus said.

"Hello dream world, I think we covered that" Buffy said, sticking her chin out defiantly.

"No, we haven't" Angelus said "Your subconscious dose what it wants, it doesn't obey the rules it creates fun but most of all it shows your conscious how to deal with stuff"

"And what stuff would that be?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know, but maybe you didn't love Riley" Angelus said

"Of course I loved him he was…I mean it was…" Buffy suddenly felt odd, she did love her fiancé, right?

When she met Riley they didn't really connect, they didn't seem to fit. So she tried to go with friendship approach and blossomed after that. They dated and still it grew, they became boyfriend and girlfriend then lovers. But Buffy couldn't really feel the connection even after all of that and Riley was as blind as a bat to notice it, just wanted to be loved like a little pouch. Everyone else had a spouse, why should she be alone? So when he proposed to her she thought she could connect better, by starting a new life and a family with him. It was only when Angelus pointed it out to her made her really think about it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Angelus asked as he sat down by the near by bench.

To his surprise she sat down next to him, nodding before she began to talk.

"Riley and I…we were good at the start, we were friends" Buffy said "I wanted a normal life and he provided it for me, but after the scenario with Adam I couldn't but think normal isn't what it used to be" she sighed as she twiddled with her thumbs "But everyone else were happy with their significant other and so I thought it would be easier if I kept Riley, he was a nice guy I thought if he stayed around longer maybe the normal thing could come back"

"It never did" Angelus said

"When he proposed, I immediately said yes. But the longer we were engaged the more time I spent on being the slayer instead of being me and be involved. I guess I know why now" Buffy sighed then looked at him "I did love him just not in a lover's way. Can you tell me why?"

"No" Angelus said truthfully.

"Did you know?" Buffy asked.

"A part of me" Angelus said "You loved him as if he was your brother, I could see that in you"

"Can you see other things about me?" Buffy asked sheepishly.

"I can see your light" Angelus said.

"Do I have a switch on me?" Buffy blurted out.

"Not that kind of light" Angelus chuckled "Your strength, your aura, your…heart" he whispered the last word "And it's beyond the word of beauty"

"I bet you say that to all the slayers" Buffy gushed a little.

"No, just you" Angelus smiled, leaving a comfortable silence between them.

She couldn't believe how lucky she was to finally have met someone like him. He was honest, kind, wise and loving, if only he'd let her love him and return that very love too.

"So um, why did you leave?" Buffy asked.

"I didn't" Angelus said.

"But Willow said-"

"That was my friend"

"Friend?"

"I asked for his help and he came"

"What did you asked him?"

"To find out what the devils were up to"

"You mean you guys don't know?"

"No"

"Oh"

"Don't worry, Gunn and, hopefully, Doyle are always good at snooping" Angelus said reassuringly.

"Well I hope you're saying the truth" Buffy smiled.

"You can count on it" Angelus smiled.

Looking very curiously at him she asked "Do you have any nifty powers?"

"An angel has his secrets" Angelus said with a secretive smile.

"Oh come on! What are we like? Two years old?" she said with a raised eyebrow.

"You really want to know?" Angelus asked her wearily.

"Yeah" Buffy said calmingly.

"Well we can move places to places in a flash of light, appear invisible, enter ones dream and heal" Angelus said "Basic stuff"

"Okay what about advanced stuff?" Buffy asked getting really interested in the whole angel thing.

"That I can't tell you" Angelus smirked.

"Why not?" Buffy pouted.

"Rules" Angelus simply reply with Buffy simply replying with a pout "Buffy?"

"Oh my god!" Buffy nearly yelped in realisation "I don't even know you name and we're talking as if we we've known each other for years"

"Same here" Angelus agreed "My name is Angelus"

"Pretty" Buffy said "So Angelus, is it just Angelus like Cher?"

"Yeah, but when I have to pose as a human my name is Liam Angelus O'Connor"

"Hey, I thought you can't get involved if only if a devil was" Buffy accusingly.

"Rules can be bended and the fact I live down here" Angelus explained with a smile.

"Wait, you live down here?" Buffy asked.

"Yep" he replied.

"But I thought you guys would be living up there" she said as she pointed towards the starry heavens.

"Tell me when you thought angel what did you imagine?" Angelus asked.

"A person with a halo and wings" Buffy said openly.

"Do I have a halo and wings?" Angelus asked.

"No" Buffy said dumbly.

"No" Angelus said, agreeing with her "I maybe an angel Buffy, may have the whole good stuff in me, but certainly don't sing" reminding her of the stereotypical version of angels and their constant singing.

Buffy laughed "That bad?"

"Worse than you can possibly imagine" Angelus laughed with her.

"So" Buffy began after their laughter died in aching ribs "What are we going to do?"

"I guess we'll have to go back to the Magic Box" Angelus said.

Gunn had looked high and low for anything that was to with the slayer and every time he got close to a devil it just vanishes a wisp of smoke. Until that is a devil that hadn't been paying attention to were he was going.

"Okay listen up dude" Gunn said pinning the devil by his throat "I've been up all over this the dimension here and y'all been sneaking around. So what's with that I mean you guys used to love pissing us angels off and yet you won't" he leered at the Devil "So wanna tell me what you up to?"

"I ain't telling you jack"

"Aww come on" Gunn said sweetly "Sharing means caring, oh right you guys don't believe in that" he pulls out a knife out of his pocket "This is my baby and I believe you two should get a little closer" he place the knife near the devil's neck "Since she's soooo good"

"What do you wanna know?" devil asked cowardly, Gunn's knife was made out of pure good energy that once stabbed into a devil it would poison it and eventually kill it.

"Why did you guys want the slayer's boyfriend dead" Gunn asked coldly.

"I don't know" the devil said but quickly added when the knife was threatening to slit his throat "Their was a bounty on his head, anyone that got him would be rewarded by the First"

"And who got the bounty?" Gunn said as he loosened his grip.

"His right hand man" the devil said "Spikeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he screamed as he burst into flame and died.

Gunn eyes widened at the powerful dark aura surrounded him, he didn't even notice it being too invested to find out who killed the slayer's boyfriend was now going to kill him.

"Damn" he said as he turned around to see a cocky, blonde, Bille Idol wannabe Devil.

"Fe fi foe fum, I smell the blood of an angel scum" the devil growled then attacked.

The Magic Box was completely silent as the scoobie gang, except Buffy, was staring at Angelus. He didn't look uncomfortable, he looked very relaxed as if it wasn't a big deal.

"S-s-so Angelus, you're an angel" Giles said looking very intrigue by Angelus presents.

"Yes" Angelus said "Would like you guys to stop staring at me though"

"I'm sorry, w-would you like a cupper tea?" Giles said "That is if you can drink, yes?".

"That would be very nice" Angelus smiled as Giles went off to make tea.

"So Angelus, how did you and Buffy come across each other?" Xander asked.

"Xander!" Willow walloped him across his head.

"What we all should know" Xander said.

"He has a point" Angelus said "Riley asked me to watch over Buffy, I was going to stick around until she moved on since angels don't watch over slayer. Situation has changed now, if a devil gets involved with one of our champions then we have to step in"

"Involved?" Willow said then turned to Buffy.

"As in involved in a killing" Buffy said reassured her friend.

"Ooh" Willow sighed in relief "So do you know why?"

"I have a friend on it" Angelus said, shrugged at their disbelief "I can't exactly break my promise to Riley and leave"

"Yeah that would be breaking the angel code or something" Xander said, receiving another wallop from Willow.

"So you've been her guardian angel since Riley died" Oz confirmed.

"Yes" Angelus said.

"Erm Angelus, why couldn't I sensed you if you were here the whole time?" Willow asked.

"When an angel takes a charge he or she can't be sensed by magic in case the charge in question is a magic wielder" Angelus answered.

"Oh but why?" Willow persisted.

"There was an accident" Angelus answered simply.

"What happened?" Willow asked.

"The angel became a battery for a love potion" Angelus said bluntly "Since we're full of good energy"

"Ouch" Willow said while biting the bottom of her lip.

"Angelus can you tell us, anything that could be useful" Giles asked as he came back with the tea "Anything about devils or angels that could help us?"

Angelus muttered his thanks when he took his tea before he said "Angels and Devils have a pact between us, we can't be involved in activities on the supernatural playing field only mortals, humans. We can guide and persuade humans to do good or evil but sometimes we have to be more severe than we should be. Devils have the ability to posses their victims, forcing them to do evil acts and when they die they go straight to hell. That is if we get there first and send the soul to the right place, but once it's in hell we can't trespass there just like they can't trespass on our territory. We can talk to the dead, get information on what happened though"

"Fascinating" Giles murmured.

"So did you get any from that dead guy?" Anya asked.

"No, I would have been able to if the devil in question hadn't used the breath to destroy the soul" Angelus said.

"That sucks" Oz said.

"Do you take your assignments directly from the Powers that be?" Giles asked "Like the devils do with the First?"

"No, we get it from the oracles" Angelus said "Who then get it from the PTB"

"Oh" Giles said.

"You know that friend of yours" Oz said "When do you think he would be back to tell you?"

"Around now" Gunn said as he appeared before them bring back the silence as Gunn looked at his friend "May I ask you why your showing yourself?"

"Change of plans" Angelus replied simply.

"She almost died huh?" Gunn said knowingly with a grin.

"You nearly died" Giles said in shock to his slayer.

"Only a little" Buffy said guiltily.

Angelus got up from his chair as he approached his friend when he noticed the bruises on his face "What happened?" he asked as he began to heal his face.

"I came across a upper level devil, I barely got out" Gunn drawled "Nearly stabbed me with my baby too"

"Baby?" Xander exclaimed curiously.

"His knife" Angelus explained to Xander before he turned back to "Did his physically touch her?"

"No, he knew what she was" Gunn said.

"Okay can one of you tell me what your on about?" Buffy said with her arms crossed and a hip pop out.

"Gunn's weapon is made out of pure good energy" Angelus said as he finished healing his friend.

"Yeah, she the finest. If a devil gets wounded or even touches her they become poisoned and soon die" Gunn said.

"Sounds like dating Cordelia" Xander said with a chuckle.

"Did you say Cordelia?" Gunn asked.

"Yeah" Xander said slowly wondering were this was going.

"Do you mean Cordelia Chase?" Gunn asked.

"The very one, why?" Xander said.

"Well she's one of our charges" Gunn said "Doyle's in fact"

"You're kidding me!" Buffy, Willow and Xander said in unison.

"Hey that's the guy who saved one of my wishes that's gone wrong" Anya said very happily "Small world huh?"

"She was a vengeance demon" Angelus explained to Gunn puzzled look.

"Oh…you mean…that vengeance demon?" Gunn exclaimed "Doyle's vengeance demon?"

"The very one" Angelus confirmed.

"Very small world" Gunn said, agreeing with Anya.

"What do you mean Doyle's?" Xander exclaimed with an annoyed huff.

"So Gunn did you find anything?" Angelus asked, getting back on track.

"Yeah, they wanted the slayer's boyfriend dead. Very badly" Gunn said.

"How bad?" Buffy asked as she stood up.

"The bounty kind of bad" Gunn said "From the First"

"So why were they desperate?" Angelus asked

"That's what I tried to find out but now they know that we know that they're up to something" Gunn said.

"They know something's up" Spike explained to the First, who was in the form of Riley dressed in commander uniform. Spike had a pack of ice on his head on the bruise the upper level angel gave him and it wasn't very pleasant either.

"Well I guess you have to keep everyone out of an angels grasp from now on, soldier" Riley/the First said "Otherwise I would have to relieve you of your duties, permanently"

"Yes sir" Spike played along, if you don't you were tortured "Permission to ask you something freely sir"

"Permission granted" Riley/The First said.

"The prophecy, can it really be un-done now that you or the target is eliminated" Spike asked.

"Yes, why? You don't believe Darla" Riley/The First asked.

"I don't trust the bint, but if you say she's right then I have no objection" Spike said truthfully.

"Very well, your dismissed" Riley/The First said.

"Yes sir" Spike said, but in the back of Spike's mind he couldn't help but feel they were missing something vital.

TBC…

What do you guys think? Shall I continue? Thanks for the reviews by the way, always gives me a happy.