Angel was standing in front of Giles' door the second time that day. He released a deep sigh and knocked on the door.

Cordelia rushed to the door and opened it.

"Are you okay ?" she asked worried

"Yeah, everything is just fine" he answered calmly, touched by her concern.

"So, what are you going to do ?"

"I'm weak, Cordy" he whispered "I'll patrol and protect her untill she gains her memory back. You can go back to Los Angeles if you want"

"You are not weak, you arebrave and I admire you, really. Like I said before, there is no way I am letting you here alone. I don't know what they could do to you, while you protect her, I will protect you" she kissed him on the cheek

He smiled at her and thanked her before going back to where he was standing before running away, he leant against the wall far from everyone. Buffy felt something strange when she saw the connection between the two. Could she be jealous ? No, she didn't even know him. He looked at Buffy and saw the worry in her eyes. He must have scared her.

"I'm sorry for lately, it won't happen again"

"Don't be, I'm sure you had every right to act like you did" she murmured gently, looking into his eyes, he turned his eyes away.

Why was he so afraid of letting her look into his eyes ? He intrigued her so much. She couldn't expect something more than friendship between them but it was a good start. He hated her, having him for a friend would be a great beginning. But she couldn't picture them being only friends. At least now, he could talk to her, he had even apologized. She couldn't help feeling happy. But she couldn't understand why.Why was the opinion of this man so important to her ?

Riley couldn't control his anger. I'm sure you had every right to act like you did. So she assumed he had every right to punch him. He was slowly losing her. Who was he trying to fool ? He had never had her at first, so he couldn't lose her. She had always belonged to this vampire who wasn't one any more. But he wouldn't let her go wihout fighting. A fight he knew he had already lost.

There was an awkward silence. They couldn't find anything to say. Everything was settled. Angel would patrol at night until she regains her memory. Buffy didn't want him to go, the only way was to not remember but she wanted so much to remember him and her life. She was so confused by him.

"Where are you going to stay ?" asked Willow breaking the silence. She looked at Cordelia then at Angel.

"The mansion is fine" answered Angel

"Are you crazy ? No way I am staying there" declared Cordelia

"I don't know, an hotel will be fine then" Angel answered still not looking at anyone and ignoring his friend's comment. He liked that place, maybe because of thememories Buffy didn't share with him any more.

"You can stay with me... I mean, stay at my house" offered Buffy hopefull, that way she would be able to learn more about him.

"What ? No way, he is not going home with you" exclaimed Riley.

Angel ignored him, he couldn't help the surprise in his eyes because of her proposition. He didn't know what to do, being with her could be dangerous. He looked at Cordelia "What do you think ?"

"Yeah, it's a good idea" she replied unsure

"Great, I have a spare room where one of you could stay and the other one can sleep on the sofa or maybe you two are together and you could sleep there together, I mean on the..." she babbled and started to blush, the idea of having him under her roof excited her.

"No way, I mean he is sexy and all but I like my men less tortured" Cordelia cut in, amused by Buffy's discomfort, she could like that Buffy. She looked so innocent and by the way she was looking at Angel, everyone except him could feel she was falling hard for him.

Sexy is an euphemism thought Buffy. He was the best looking man she had ever seen but it wasn't like she had seen a lot of them. But he was better looking than Riley, she still couldn't believe she was going out with Fish Boy. At first she didn't find him that bad, but since she had seen Angel, she only had eyes for him. He didn't even seem to notice.

Buffy suddenly thought of her family. Why was she living alone ? Didn't she have anyone who care about her ? She was grateful to have her friends but where were her parents?

"Where is my family ? Aren't they worried ?" she asked bluntly

She noticed their discomfort. What happened ? She wasn't so sure she wanted to hear the answer any more. Giles was the first to speak and to break the silence her question had caused.

"Buffy, I'm sorry..." she wanted him to stop talking "Your parents were divorced, you father still lives in Los Angeles but you didn't really keep in touch and your mother..." He cleared his throat "Your mother died one year ago from cancer" Hestill had pain when he thought of Joyce's death.

Buffy fought the tears but couldn't take it any more and cracked. She started to cry. She didn't remember her mother but still she couldn't help it.

"I'm sorry, I just feel like..." she sobbed

"You feel like you just lost her again" Angel completed, she looked at him surprised he could read in her so easily like an open book "There is no need to be sorry and don't try to hold back the tears, you'll feel better after" he said in a calming sweet voice

She did as she was told and cried. Angel couldn't take seeing her like that, he wanted to comfort her, to hold her, to kiss her. But it was too risky, holding her in his arms would only brought back memorieshe had fought too hard to forget.

Buffy went over the fact that she barely had a family. From what they had told her, it wasn't like her father cared about her. Fortunately she had her friends and was really grateful for that. They talked about a lot of things, they told her the most important things in her life but not with details. Giles told her she should remember alone, she was already sick of waiting. She wanted to rule her life again and she desperately wanted to know what had happened between Angel and her.

Xander and Cordelia were speaking in a corner of the room.The conversation had begun by Cordelia warning Xander about Angel, she didn't want him to annoy the ex-vampire. He had been surprised to see that she cared about another person, she had really changed and he wanted to know that Cordelia, the mature and sensitive one. They begun to develop a friendship. Xander didn't want to let their new understanding vanished so he promised he would let Angel alone if she accepted to stay in his apartment while she was in Sunnydale so he could learn to know her again. Feelings for him were coming back and he seemed more mature so she accepted.

They talked like that all day long. Giles was reading, he wanted to talk to Angel about his humanity but he thought that now wasn't the best moment. Angel was brooding as usual, he wasn't aware of what was happening around him, Willow tried to talk to him but his cryptic answers discourage her. It was obvious he didn't want to talk to any one.

Buffy wanted to go to him but she was afraid he would push her away so she didn't try. She was talking with Willow but it was obvious she was thinking about something else. Willow caught her sometimes glancing at Angel.

"Don't worry about him, he is always like that. He doesn't talk a lot" she tried to reassure her best friend

"What ? Oh, him...I was wondering what sort of relationship we had"

"A really complicated one, but it's not my place to tell you. You will have to ask him"

"I... I can't, he won't even look at me"

Willow understood her assumptions were right, Buffy was effectively falling in love with Angel. She hoped he would be able to forgive her. "Don't worry, talk to him" she replied with confidence. After all it was Angel, he could try to fool everyone but he couldn't fool his own heart, she was sure he still loved Buffy.

Bufy was surprised with her confidence and decided to trust her, tonight, she would talk to him. The only thought of being alone with him frightened her. She knew he couldn't hurt her physically but she feared he would hurt her emotionally by telling her who she really was, what she did to him and that he hated her. His eyes were so dark when he looked at her.

"I think it's time for everyone to go home. Buffy, I am sure you need to rest" Giles said, Buffy nodded. She hadn't thought of it before but she was really tired and all the information she had learned today had drained her. She was exhausted.

"You can't go home alone, I will walk you" offered Riley

"Thank you but you don't need to, yesterday Willow showed me the way and I remember it"

"It is dangerous outside, I can't risk to let you alone" Riley insisted, it was darkso vampires and demons could attack her.

"I won't be alone. I will be with Angel and ... sorry I didn't catch your name" she smiled apologically at the brunette

"Duh, how flattering ! Thanks a lot, I'm Cordelia and I'll stay at Xander's but it's not like you need me, Angel will protect you" the beautiful brunette replied, Xander smiled.

Angel looked at her with intensity. Did she just say that she was staying at Xander's ? That meant he was going to stay alone with Buffy... That only thought scared him because he didn't know if he would be able to hide his feelings for her. But he couldn't show her he was afraid of being alone with her, so he didn't say anything. He turned his eyes away and stared blankly at thewall oppositewondering why things were always so complicated.

Buffy only nodded, she wouldn't let them or him know that inside she couldn't contain her joy. She feared to be alone with him but at the same time, it was an opportuny she didn't want to miss. She would do everything to talk to him and she wouldn't let her so-called boyfriend destroy her plans. She looked at Angel, he didn't seem to notice so she called him

"Angel, are you ready to go ?"

"Yes" he replied without looking at her, she had said his name just like she used to. He stayed still for a while then moved in direction of Cordelia. He hugged her and murmured something in her ears so the others couldn't hear.

"Letting me alone with her was a great idea" he whispered sardiscally, he didn't let her time to reply, he added "Be careful with him, if he makes you cry again, I will break his bones one by one"

He let her go and made his way towards the door. She just looked at him smiling, he acted like a big brother and it didn't displease her. However the images of Xander being broken by him were not really pleasant. Any way, it was great to have someone who cared about you that much.

"Aren't you coming ?" Angel asked Buffy who was still on the sofa, she quickly got up and said bye to everyone. She reached the door and Riley spoke.

"Buffy, I don't want you to be alone with him, I don't trust him"

"I do" she simply said and couldn't believe how this felt right. Angel and every one else looked at her surprised. Did she mean what she just said ?

"How can you trust someone you don't even know ?" axclaimed Riley

"Look, Rodney, I don't know any of you. And I trust him, that's all" she was getting annoyed by him.

"My name is Riley" he replied hurt

"Oh, sorry... We will see you tomorrow, bye" she adressed the others before going out, letting a really surprised Angel behind her. He recovered, murmured bye to everyone and went out. He couldn't help smiling, she had forgotten her boyfriend's name.

Thanks to everyone who replied, please review and if you have some ideas feel free to share