"I've missed you." Buffy turned her face up in his arms for a kiss, for once, ignoring the embarrassment of being caught in 'Tom and Jerry" pyjamas by her gorgeous vampire boyfriend in favour of Angel kisses. She really would do anything for them – and really, who wouldn't? Apart from Giles, Xander, Spike and a few others…well, the first two at least, she wasn't really sure what might have happened between Angelus and William the Bloody back in the day. They did seem to hate each other more than she thought was normal or customary. Either there was something there, or one of them stole the other's girl, or both.

"I love you, and I missed you too. I am, so sorry we haven't seen or spoken to each other in so long. I love you so much, you do know that, right?"

"Yes. Wait, Oz? What was Oz doing in LA?"

"Umm. Willow was there?"

"Doing what that meant you got a lift back here?"

"Being your best friend…"

"And?"

"WellWillowwasreallyupsetwithmebecauseshethoughtIhadbeencheatingonyoubecauseIhadn'tspokentoyouinsolongsosheyelledatmeandnowI'mhere."

"What? Honey, you need to speak slower, and wait a minute. Since when do you talk fast and quite and mumble and … oh God! What's the matter?"

"I told you – Willow was really up set with me because she thought I had been cheating on you because I hadn't spoken to you in so long so she yelled at me and now I'm here."

"You're only here because Willow yelled at you?"

He started to shuffle around nervously on the balls of his feet. The mighty Angelus, afraid of an 18-year-old girl – if only his old enemies could see him now. Holtz perhaps. He always did have a good sense of humour…

"Willow? Red hair, about this tall, would squeak at a mouse? My best friend Willow? You are joking, aren't you? And why are you here just because Willow told you to be here? You should come to Sunnydale to either stop some big evil, or to see me (which you should do when you come here to stop said big evil) – not because Willow told you to!"

Was it so much to ask, really? Angel was her boyfriend, and she wanted him to want to see her, not to feel like he had to or it was just another duty, another job he felt was necessary. He always used to love seeing her! Back in high school, he walked her home after patrol (if she wasn't sleeping at the mansion in the first place) and he would sit on the tree outside, waiting for her to go through the front door make a noise to let her mum know she was safe at home. The, once Buffy was in her room and 'going to sleep' he came through the now open window. Once, Angel even stayed there all night, with his girl wrapped in his arms safe in her own bed, only even trying to leave once he was sure she was safe and asleep – he ended up having to wake the slayer up so she would let go of him arm before sunrise.

The point was, that Angel should always want to see her; she always wanted, needed to see him. Every time she tried to schedule a time to come visit, he said it wouldn't be a good time, or some big bad came to Sunnydale. Life (and unlife) just was not fair to Buffy and her cradle-robbing-creature-of-the-night boyfriend.

"Buffy! I always want to see you – your picture is the only one I have in my apartment for goodness sake! Lately…everything has been out of control, and I just couldn't get here. I … well I didn't want you to travel all the way to LA just to be the slayer still – you get enough of the at home without having to go 200 miles down the road to do the same!"

"LA isn't that far away …"

"I know. That isn't the point."

"I know. But. That's who we are, Angel. I can't escape the demons and the dark any more than you can! I don't think I would be able to even if I had that choice. You know – to know all that's out there and not be able to do a thing about it…that would be Hell for me. Whatever though, back to Willow."

"Well, I hadn't really realised anything was wrong, I thought you knew I wasn't just avoiding you or anything, I didn't –"

Clearly it didn't matter nearly as much as Buffy getting her Angel kisses.