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The pair reentered the kitchen where Giles was still writing and Spike was still talking in an overconfident tone with exaggerated hand gestures as if he was recounting the most epic tale in history. Upon seeing Angel Spike cleared his throat uncomfortably and fought a blush before looking back at Giles, "We'll stop there for now."

"Spreading lies Spike?" Angel asked with an arched brow.

"No! I just like to make my stories a little more interesting is all. Nothing wrong with it." Seeing Angel's expression he rolled his eyes and walked over to him. "We need to discuss Abaddon," he said in a more serious tone.

Angel's entire demeanor changed in the blink of an eye. Gone was any trace of humor or awkwardness from his face and in its place was a stone-faced man with an air of confidence and power that was overwhelming in the small room. His back was perfectly straight and his black eyes were slightly narrowed as he crossed his arms. "There's been retaliation?"

Spike also morphed into his role and stood straighter and met his eyes, the mischievous glint in his blue eyes gone. "From what we understand they're planning a large scale attack very soon."

Angel was silent for a few seconds and Buffy glanced at Giles who was watching the pair closely. "Gather some of the guardian angels, use them as cannon fodder. Don't bother the Seraphim but request assistance from the Cherubim, if they won't help ask the Virtues but you'll need more of them since they're weaker. Set your perimeter closer than normal and focus mostly on the south border. They're stupid; they'll only focus on one or two sides. Be prepared for multiple waves, the strongest being in the middle."

Spike nodded before dropping to a knee and disappearing. Angel turned slightly and looked at Giles who was watching with a slack jaw. "Consider yourself lucky Giles, not many hear battle strategies for protecting heaven."

He nodded dumbly, "Did I hear you correctly? You're using people's guardian angels as… as cannon fodder?"

"It's a war Rupert, it should be treated as such," he said darkly.

Buffy's hand gently grabbed the edge of his uninjured wing and he turned with hard eyes before his expression softened and he smiled at her. "What happens if heaven loses?"

Angel's wing twitched in her grasp and he turned to face her better, "Heaven won't lose. Spike won't let it happen. I won't let it happen."

She nodded softly but looked doubtful still. He bent his knees and leaned back slightly to better see her face before grabbing her chin in his hand, "Don't worry slayer. Your concerns don't lie in the clouds but here on earth."

She smiled at him again before stepping back, "I should go home, mom's probably called a search party for me." With a faint blush she let go of Angel's wing and walked to the door before disappearing through it.

Angel watched her leave before standing back at full height. "Something to say Rupert?" he asked before turning to face the watcher.

Giles expression was hard and he met the angel's stare head on. He had watched the entire interaction between his slayer and the angel and was not pleased by what he saw. Watching Buffy seek comfort from him and him allowing her to grasp his wings was unsettling to say the least. Also the question still remained why she could touch them without harming him. "She's just a child Liam."

Angel's wings puffed slightly as he bristled, "I'm aware Rupert."

"I'm aware that you're still hiding something from us. There's a reason you're different than every single other angel."

Angel looked thoughtful for a moment, "You're very observant and intelligent, more so than I anticipated. As for Buffy; our relationship, whatever it may be is between us and it would be in everyone's best interest if you didn't interfere."

Giles opened his mouth but closed it when he was suddenly alone in the kitchen.

Buffy rolled over and blearily opened her eyes wondering what had woken her. She glanced around the dark room before looking towards the window where Angel was casually sitting on the ledge. "What are you doing here?" she asked sleepily as she glanced at the clock that read 2:14 am.

"Thinking. I didn't mean to wake you."

She stretched and scooted over to one side of her bed before flipping back the covers. Angel smiled at the gesture and removed his clothing except for his pants and slid into the bed before pulling Buffy to him. They laid in silence until Buffy whispered, "I thought about what we talked about earlier."

Angel nodded and pulled her on top of him to better see her, "You're young Buffy, just enjoy your youth. You don't need…."

"I want to."

He stopped speaking instantly and shook his head, "Buffy do you understand the implications of what you're saying? Do you understand that I have to go back to heaven or go to hell soon and might never see you again until you die? You could never be with anyone else, never marry, never have children. Even after you die you can't have kids, angels don't reproduce." He pushed a piece of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear, "I want more for you. I want you to experience life not put it on hold just for me." The words tasted bitter in his mouth, his brain and his heart warring with each other and mixing to form a lump of turmoil in his throat.

His heart wanted this so badly, a small piece of heaven to call his own. A person that would love him and stand by him no matter what, a person that wouldn't judge him or punish him for his actions. His mind though screamed at him to just leave now. Let Buffy grow and experience the joys of earth without a ball and chain in the form of a psychotic angel attached to her.

She nodded, "I understand what you're saying Angel but I don't want to experience anything if it's not with you. I can't say if it's because you're my…"

"Mate," he offered.

"Or if it just happened naturally but I love you. Let me love you Angel."

Her answer came in the form of a growl as he rolled them over so he was on top of her. His lips crashed down on hers in a searing kiss before he lifted off her shirt and began kissing down her neck and chest. When he felt hands on his pants he lifted his hips to give her room to unbutton and unzip them. Finally free from clothes except for underwear he grinded into her as she panted underneath him.

"Angel?"

"Yes?" he asked softly, never stopping while he worshipped her body.

"How does..." she gasped as his lips hit a sensitive spot. "How does the mating thingy work?"

He ignored her for a few minutes until kissing back up her body and across her collarbones. "Just relax. If you accept me completely it'll just happen."

"Ok," she whispered. The kiss continued, Angel waiting for Buffy to feel more comfortable before they progressed. When he felt a small hand wrap around him he groaned into her neck, his narrow hips jerking involuntarily. Knowing it was now or never he dropped his hands to her hips and slid off her underwear and smirked when she did the same for him.

"Ready?"

She nodded once, "I love you."

He kissed her softly, "I love you too."

She noticed his slightly preoccupied expression and when she realized why she smiled and grabbed the back of his head to meet his eyes. "Relax Angel."

He smiled boyishly and a second later he rolled his shoulders as his massive wings appeared. They were slightly spread and were quivering slightly even though he wasn't moving.

Buffy held his eyes which were completely black, no white at all as he slid into her and when she adopted a pained expression he kissed her again and murmured words of love in Enochian. The pain soon ebbed leaving only blinding pleasure in its wake. Her entire body tingled as she moved with him, two becoming one in the dead of night.

When she felt her body start to tense she opened her mouth but Angel silenced her with another searing kiss. A moment later she shuddered as she reached her peak and couldn't hold in the cry of pure pleasure that erupted from her lips. As she rode out her orgasm her hands grabbed his wings tightly and pulled, the motion causing Angel to moan loudly. When she came down from her high she noticed that Angel was moving much more slowly and had been watching her the entire time.

"Are you sure Buffy? You can still say no to this."

She softly caressed the side of his face and looked over his flushed features and reflective black eyes. "I'm sure."

His wings flared out more and he sped up his rhythm, dropping his face into the crook of her neck as they both moaned and panted. Buffy was starting to tense again when Angel suddenly picked up his head and met her eyes, his hips stuttering but never stopping. "How do you want me to mark you? With my fangs or angelically?" he panted.

"Both."

That was all it took for Angel to topple over the edge. His fangs grew and sunk into her neck as his hand dropped to her hip, his wings spread as wide as they could go, all the way to the ceiling and down the walls as he emptied himself inside her.

Buffy gasped when he pierced the skin on her neck and let out a small pained noise at the burning sensation on her hip before she screamed out her second orgasm. She watched his wings shudder as he too met his release and shivered when his tongue licked the base of her neck where he had bitten her.

For a long time the pair simply laid there still locked together. "Did it work?" she asked after a while.

He nodded, "Can you feel it? The bond will get stronger."

She focused for a second and could almost feel something inside her. It was like a piece had been added that she didn't know was missing but now that it was there she never wanted to be without it. It was like her soul felt more complete. "I can feel it."

He smiled and rolled off of her, letting the cool air from the open window cool their heated skin.

Buffy suddenly sat up with wide eyes, "Oh my God. My mom has to have heard us."

Angel chuckled and rubbed her back, "Relax slayer, she's sleeping peacefully and she won't wake until the morning."

She released a sigh of relief and fell backwards back onto the bed before promptly falling asleep in her mate's arms.