I think I mentioned this in a previous Author's Note, but here's a refresher: Even though Angel never became Angelus in Season 2 of BtVS, Spike and Drusilla were still in Sunnydale, and Drusilla eventually did kill Kendra (as in canon), therefore activating Faith. I think that's all you need to know! Enjoy!

Buffy walked into the police station lobby and saw Angel pacing with his head down. She stopped and crossed her arms, waiting for him to stop. When it was clear he was not going to break the silence, she said, "I'm sorry for hitting you."

Angel finally stopped pacing and looked at her. "I'm sorry too."

Buffy still didn't look him in the eye. "It's just after everything in Sunnydale, seeing you defend her like that…" she sighed. "It felt like you were betraying me," she said, her gaze resting upon him.

Angel stepped toward her tentatively. "Hey," he said gently. She looked up at him. "I would never risk our relationship for anything, especially Faith."

Buffy sighed and shook her head. "She just makes me so mad." She felt foolish for saying it, like a toddler about to have a tantrum.

"I know," Angel said. He reached and rested both hands on her tiny shoulders, rubbing the tense muscles there. "She just needed help."

"I just don't know how you could do it…after everything she's done," Buffy said. "Pre and post coma," she added as an after thought.

"When you're around as long as I have been you get to be pretty patient," Angel said. "Call it a perk of getting older."

Buffy gave him a small smile, but it quickly fell. She suddenly felt so very tired and sore. She leaned into Angel's chest and rested her weight on him. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to pour all his love for her into the embrace. He felt her relax slightly against him.

After a few moments of silence, Buffy leaned back a bit and looked up at him. "How'd you know it wasn't me?"

"Hmm?" Angel asked in question.

"Back in Sunnydale, when she switched our bodies. You said she…" Buffy scrunched her face in disgust. "Came onto you. But you told me you knew it wasn't me."

Angel ran his hand through her hair and said, "Something was just…off." Buffy just stared at him and raised an eyebrow, clearly needing more. "Buffy, your blood is in my veins. I'd know you anywhere."

Buffy scrunched her nose again and said, "Ew. But good." She rested her head against his chest again, and Angel rubbed her back, relaxing her tired muscles.

After a minute Buffy reluctantly stepped back out of his embrace and said, "I should get back. It's late and I have class tomorrow."

Angel nodded and said, "Yeah, probably a good idea." He dropped a lingering kiss to her forehead and she gave his hand a quick squeeze before walking towards the exit. "Call me when you get home," he said to her.

With one last look at him, Buffy nodded and walked out the door.

Back in Sunnydale, Buffy walked into the apartment she shared with Willow and dropped tiredly into a chair at the kitchen table. She placed her phone on the table in front of her and stared at it.

Willow heard Buffy come home and wandered out of her bedroom to find the Slayer sitting at the kitchen table, her head in her hands, staring at her phone on the surface in front of her. Willow sat down in the chair next to Buffy and asked, "How'd it go?"

Buffy looked over at her best friend and said, "She turned herself in."

Willow raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Well that's good! Right?"

"Yeah…" Buffy replied.

Willow looked at Buffy who was still staring at her phone on the table, intently, like it was going to give her all the answers she needed. Willow knew that Buffy always called Angel as soon as she got back to Sunnydale from LA, and vice versa. She would often hear Buffy whispering and giggling into the phone for at least an hour despite being with Angel all weekend. Something was up.

"Angel troubles?" Willow asked, concerned. Buffy just nodded and Willow continued, "He didn't…do anything with her, did he?" She was already wracking her brain for that spell to turn someone into a rat, wondering if it would work on vampires.

Buffy snapped her eyes to Willow and said, "No, no, nothing like that. He's just a lot more willing to help her than I would ever be."

Willow said, "Buffy, you're the most important thing to him. I'm pretty sure….no I'm absolutely sure that he would drop Faith like a hot potato if that was the only way to be with you, or save you from something."

Buffy thought back to a few months ago and the other thing he "dropped like a hot potato" to save her. "Yeah, I know," Buffy said to Willow.

Willow stood up and said, "Call him, and then go to bed. You look exhausted."

Buffy gave her a grateful smile and said, "Thanks Will."

She never called Angel. She just sent him a quick text (Home safe, talk to you later.) before crawling into bed and falling asleep before she could wait for a response.