Title: Forbidden Love Ch. 2

Author: Esmerada007

Author's Note: Lyrics byNickelback

Rating: PG-13 Subject to Change

Characters and Relationships: Buffy/Angel, Willow/Xander, Giles, Joyce,

Disclaimer: All non-original characters and borrowed script belong to the minds behind Angel and Buffy: The Vampire Slayer

Credit- Alinzar and Cherene

Loud grungy rock filled the tiny Bronze that night as Willow and Buffy sat at one of the high tables scattered around the bar. Xander was trying to make his limbs cooperate on the dance floor, resulting in a rather comic display of flailing.

"What is it like where you are?" Willow asked, waving a hand in front of her friend's face.

Buffy blinked rapidly, pulling herself from dreamland and smiling apologetically at Willow. "I'm... sorry, I was just... thinking about things..."

"So, we're talking about a guy?" Willow arched her eyebrows expectantly.

"Not exactly a guy. For us to have a conversation about a guy, there'd have to be a guy for us to have a conversation about." Buffy paused. "Is that a sentence?"

"Your thinking about that mysterious dream-alleyway guy, aren't you?"

Buffy blushed "Well…maybe, but I can't help it. It's been a day since I've seen him and when I saw him that night it was like the lights dimmed everywhere else. But then there's that thing where I don't know if I should trust him. He knew my name, said I was a slayer and that I was chosen to destroy evil. Then he gave me this." She replied handing the box to her.

"Oh, a box." Willow replied, sarcasm dripping from her words.

Buffy smiled at her, opening the box. "No, It's a crucifix." She held up the sterling silver cross, roughly two inches long by an inch wide.

"Oh that's pretty," Willow replied. "All it needs is a suspended figure and you're on step closer to private catholic school land."

"Yeah, but why would he give me a crucifix?"

"Maybe he's religious?" Willow replied.

Buffy grinned at Willow's comment and noticed a note hidden behind the cross. Buffy pulled it out and read it. " If you wish to know more meet me at this address."

"I don't know Buffy, Do you think you should trust him?" Willows eyes were wide.

"Trust who?" Xander asked, bopping towards them.

"Um, this guy Buffy met…" Willow tried to not think of how close Xander was sitting next to her. She was willing to overlook the strong smell of 'dude' that seemed to accompany Xander everywhere.

"A guy that you met…where?" Xander proclaimed. "Is he here now?"

Buffy rolled her eyes at Xander's attempts at misplaced big brotherly behavior.

"No, Xander he's not here. I am supposed to meet him at this address. He says he knows where my abilities came from." Buffy replied.

"So…you're going to meet this complete stranger alone…?"

"No…" Buffy snapped.

Liar.

"Xander you know I can take care of my self."

"Yeah." Xander kept up the skepticism. "Come on! I see trap written all over this. He could be a vampire working with others to trap you and…you know… kill you."

Buffy rolled her eyes at him. "Xander it's not a trap." She replied.

"How do you know?" Xander pressed on trying to get Buffy to see reason.

"I just…do." She replied lamely. "I must be going. I think I'm infecting those nearest and dearest to me. I'm going to call it a night."

"Oh, don't go!" Willow protested.

"Uh, yeah! It's early! We could, um, dance!" Xander attempted a Justin Timberlake move that ended with a pulled shoulder muscle.

"No, I'm kind of bummed out. Either way I have to get home before my mom calls the cops or something."

Xander and Willow watched Buffy leave.

"She's going to meet him, isn't she?" Xander asked a little rhetorically.

"Yep."

…

Nobody wants to be the last one there.

'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.

Someone to love with my life in their hands.

There's gotta be somebody for me like that.

Walking home, Buffy decided to take a short cut through the cemetery. She ignored the tingling at the back of her head, telling her that something was off. Walking faster, she had almost reached the exit when a growl stopped her short.

"It's late, I'm tired, and I don't want to play games. Show yourself." She demanded.

One vampire dropped from the roof of a mausoleum, landing right in front of her. Buffy reached for her stake inside her coat and quickly spun around to stake the vampire. Two more dropped down and grabbed her arms as she swung around. She stared at them and noticed they were different then the other vampires. They looked stronger, fiercer and meaner.

"Ooo! Okay, okay, nice..."

They pulled her out of the cemetery and into a nearby alley and up against a fence. The larger of the two approached her.

"Look, guys, I really don't wanna fight all three of you... unless I have to." She tried to negotiate.

She snapped and kicked the front one in the crotch, elbowing the second in the face, and tried to punch the third but he blocks her swing. He thrusted his knee into her gut, slamming her into the fence. The other two recovered and grabbed her again. The third one slowly approached her with a promise of death in his eyes. Buffy was terrified and struggled to get away but was kicked in the stomach again. She stumbled to the ground again, barely able to get up from what felt like a broken rib.

She grunted as the largest vampire hauled her to her feet by her hair. Buffy eyes grew wide with fear as the vampire prepared to bite her when someone forced him off her.

"Good dogs don't...bite!" She heard a familiar voice growl.

Buffy opened her eyes in surprise as the mysterious stranger got in on the slaying.

She regained her balance as the stranger fought the vampire. She climbed onto the other two vampires, fighting fiercely. One of them grabbed her by the neck again and held her against the fence. The mysterious stranger quickly killed one vampire and went after the other two near Buffy. He made quick work of one and Buffy shoved an open palm into her assailant's chin, pushing him off her.

She punched him once in the gut and then slammed both fists into his head. The vampire quickly blocked her last punch and threw her two feet in the air.

The stranger, distracted by Buffy flying through the air, missed the vampire sneaking up behind him. He turned quickly, but not fast enough to block the iron bar that swung hard and fast into his stomach. The shock pushed him to the ground, more than the rod protruding from his stomach.

Buffy landed on the pavement with a thud. Her eyes widened as she watched the stranger pull the bar out of his stomach. She was sure she was seeing things; because there was no way could any human live through that.

The vampire's eyes widened as the stranger hit him square in the jaw with the freed iron bar.

Still slightly disorientated by her landing, Buffy misjudged a kick at the remaining vamp, only to have him pick her up and throw her to the ground. Obviously, someone had been watching WWE – a lot. Buffy gave in to the darkness.

The stranger dropped the bar and rushed towards Buffy seeing her pale, prone body on the ground. His face twisted into a feral snarl as he saw the last vampire descend on her.

He quickly jumped forward grabbing the vampire's neck, lifting him by the throat, all the while glaring at him. "She's not yours to feed on." He growled.

"She is the slayer, she must be killed. It is the Master's wish." The vampire growled back.

He smirked at the dangling vamp. Quickly grabbing the vampire's arm, he twisted it until he heard the snap of a bone. The vampire's painful cries abruptly ended as he was flung into the building wall.

"Tell your master to back off and if he has his minions go after her again, I'll kill him and that's a promise."

The remaining vampire was confused by this fighting stranger. What business was it of his, anyway, to protect the Slayer. Slayers are always alone. This wasn't in the manual.

"Who are you?" The vampire sneered.

The stranger turned and smiled at the vampire. "The names Angelus… He'll know me."

The vampire scurried away quickly into a nearby storm water drain.

Angel quickly made his way to Buffy and carefully picked her up. He studied the sound of her heart, which was still beating steadily. As he walked out the alley, Slayer in his arms, his face morphed back into its human shape.

Despite being the Slayer, Angel couldn't think of any other reason why her parents would let her wander the streets so late at night, alone.

He made his way to the abandoned mansion he now called home. He kept her close in his arms all the way up to his spare room. She was so small, she barely weighed anything.

He gently set her down on the bed and covered her up. He sat there, staring at her beautiful face wondering if his existentialist crisis, that he thought was over, with the whole "Save The World" thing had reared its ugly head to include falling in love with the one person who was supposed to kill him. Poetic, really. He tried to reason his way around it. She was young, way too young for him. Sure, he looked twenty something, which is pretty good for someone over two hundred years old, but it made him wonder what she would do if she ever found out he was a vampire. Would she kill him or would she let him help her?

Angel could see the various versions of his future stretch out in front of him. Sadly, each one ended the same, a stake in his heart with her hand wrapped around it.

He watched as she slept, she was so beautiful when she sleeps. She looked like an angel, peaceful and serene. He quietly leaned closer, breathing in the scent of her that filled the room. Her blond hair was longer than the last time he saw her. It was spread out over her pillow giving the impression of a halo. He continued to stare at her as he lay down next to her. Angel watched her sleep, listening to the soft beating of her heart pushing her blood through her veins. She was so alive next to his dead body. He had to warn her of what was to come. It would be the only way to protect her and the world from the dangers that the future held.

….

Buffy woke slowly, drifting from unconsciousness. She blinked her eyes a couple times noticing the dull throb at the back of her head. She stared to the left noticing she was in a room and was lying on a bed she didn't recognize. Her heart beat faster wondering where she was. She looked over to her left and let out a strangled gasp.

There was the man that saved her in the alley. He had a black dress shirt on, his brown hair spiked in a tuff. He looked so peaceful. His face, his body was sculpted like a Greek statue. Leaning forward slightly, she took in his face, hands resting beneath his cheek as if in prayer. A glint of gold caught her eye. He had a ring on one of his fingers. Looking closer, she stared at it; the design was odd with a glowing green orb in the middle. It didn't look like a wedding ring, well; at least she hoped it wasn't a wedding ring.

It was at that moment as she was staring at him, his eyes opened. She blinked, a little startled and actually embarrassed as his eyes roamed her body.

Buffy stared at him quietly, memorized by his eyes. She blinked again as he leaned up and smiled.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"Um, yeah…my head kind of hurts from that vampire or what ever it was." She replied as she remembered what happened earlier. A vampire knocked her out and as the darkness overtook her, she could have sworn she seen a bar stuck in his stomach. But she must have been seeing things because he looked fine, not a scratch on him. He looked really good in fact.

She looked around and stared at him again. "Where am I?" She asked.

"My house. I didn't know where you live," he lied. "I was trying to get you away from them...the vampires."

"What happened to them?" She asked.

"They ran after I dusted one of them."

"You let them go?" She questioned slightly angered.

"I don't think they'd be a problem anymore. I just wanted you to be safe."

Buffy smiled softly and attempted to get up, noticing the pain in her ribs was slowly fading but still there. Her legs didn't like the idea of walking just yet and as she crumpled to the floor, he was there, catching her around the waist.

"You should rest." He scolded lightly.

Buffy smiled feeling his muscular chest against her. "I'm fine…really." She replied trying to move clumsily.

"Ah, maybe not." She replied embarrassed as she stared into his eyes. "So do I get to know the name of my rescuer?" She asked.

He smiled back at her as he set her on the edge of the bed. "Angel."

Buffy smirked. "Well, it does fit the description…except for the girly name." she mocked.

Angel smirked as the demon inside of him roared to grab her. It lashed at her mocking, making Angel frown in concentration trying to control his muscles from contorting, from giving in.

Without realizing it, his hold on her tightened. His face so close to hers, his huge hands wrapped around her waist. He held their bodies flush against each other and Buffy swore she felt something stir in his pants.

Buffy blushed as she stared at his dark brown eyes. "Well I guess that proves you're not a girl." She murmured.

Angel smiled back suddenly feeling embarrassed by what he done. He moved quickly, letting her go and moving away from her.

The tension was thick between the two as they stood there staring at each other, both mortified by the way their bodies were betraying them.

"Sorry…I think it's best to get you home." Angel replied.

Buffy was about to agree but remembered the note that was in the box he gave her.

"No, I don't want to leave yet. The note you left me in the box. You said you would tell me more about being a slayer."

"Oh, yeah… I kind of forgot with the saving you and all. Um, I don't know why you don't know you're not a slayer. You were supposed to have a watcher."

"A watcher, what's a watcher?" She asked.

"Um, someone that suppose to train you and educate you on what's happening." He replied.

"Oh, like a teacher. I don't think I would want any more teachers especially if it has to do with homework." She replied.

Angel smirked at her comment and noticed her nervousness being near him and the bed.

"Um, maybe we could go into to the living room where it's more comfortable." he replied

Buffy stood up, the pain finally leaving her bruised ribs.

She quickly moved passed him before he could try to help her again. She was no damsel in distress and if it meant not being within two feet of him, she was fine with that. She had some pride, after all.

Angel followed her in the room wandering if he made the right choice to bring her here. He wasn't sure if it was a good ideal especially if she wanted toopen up the fridge to find quarts of blood inside. That would probably freak her out or have a stake in his chest.

He watched her as she looked around the living room admiring the decoration and the antique souvenirs he had in his room.

"You have a very lovely house. What do you do for a living?" she asked sitting on his couch.

Angel sat down on the couch in front of her. "Um…I'm a detective." He replied lying again.

"Must pay pretty well." she replied as her eyes roamed his black dress shirt to the tight black jeans he was sporting. Buffy quickly glanced away noticing he was doing the same to her. Her face turned red again as she looked around noticing the clock, which read 1:00 am.

"Oh my god, my mom is going to flip." She replied quickly getting off the couch.

Angel stood up and stared at her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just so grounded." she murmured heading to the door. "Wait, I need to know about. …Slayers and that stuff you mention earlier."

Angel smirked seeing her nervousness. "I think we have time for that later, Buffy. Right now you should just go home, I'd drive you."

Buffy followed him to his car, noticing it was a Mustang. Very nice, a little older and looks expensive. "Nice car." she commented hopping in the car.

"Thanks," Angel smiled and walked on the other side and got in. "Where to?"

"1630 Revello Drive."

"Oh just around the corner. What a coincidence."