Note: I own nothing. This was written before Angel lost his soul so he is still good and all. All the stuff in the < and > are thoughts

Sixteen year old Buffy Summers sat on her bed writing in her diary.

Dear Diary,
Why can’t Angel and I be together? I know, I know. He’s a vampire, I’m a slayer. It’s just so unfair. It hurts so much. I can’t get him out of my thoughts. I can’t stop thinking about his face, his lips, his kiss. All my thought turn to him. What’s wrong with me? I’m the slayer. How come I’m having fuzzy feeling about a vamp? I’m just so confused. Whenever Angel and I start to get close, he pulls away. I just don’t understand him sometimes…ok, most of the time.

"Buffy!" Joyce Summers yelled from downstairs. "Do you know what time it is?! You have school tomorrow. If you’re not in bed in three minutes, you will be soooooo grounded!!"

Buffy shut her diary and rolled her eyes. "Ok, Mom." Buffy put her diary under her mattress and slid under the covers. She was just falling asleep when she heard a noise at her window. Buffy opened her eyes and sat up quickly. She saw a figure enter her bedroom. Buffy’s eyes searched her night stand. < Where’s my stake?I know it was there before… >

"Buffy?" the figure whispered.

Buffy’s eyes widened in surprise. "Angel?" Buffy asked as Angel walked from the shadows so she could see his face.

"Something’s wrong," Angel said, his concern showing on his face. He walked over to her bed and sat down.

"I knew this wouldn’t be a social call," Buffy said, making a face. "Ok, so what’s up? New demon in town? Another witch?"

"It’s Drusilla. She was restored to full strength during the ceremony Spike performed. Spike was badly injured, but Dru’s working on him. He should be back to full health in a couple weeks."

"So everything’s fine, right? Dru will be busy with Spike for the next couple weeks, and we’ll deal with the both of them when the time comes." Buffy laid back down and closed her eyes.

"Wrong. Dru is really pissed at you right now for hurting Spike."

Buffy sat up again and rolled her eyes. "So, I can take the raving loony."

"She’s not just a raving loony, she’s a raving vampire loony. That’s a lethal combination." Angel paused, looking Buffy deep in the eyes. "She has every available vamp on the lookout for you."

Buffy’s eyes grew big and she looked scared. "And when they find me?"

"She’ll torture you…"

"And then?"

Angel avoided Buffy’s stare. He stood from her bed and walked over to the window. "She’ll kill you."

"Buffy, is something wrong?" Joyce Summers asked as she drove her daughter to school.

Buffy sat in the car looking out the window. < Drusilla hunting me. I can’t believe it. She’s even more of a loony than I thought she was. I can’t be- >

"BUFFY!"

"Huh?" Buffy’s thoughts were interrupted by her mother yelling her name. "What’s up mom?"

"Did you even hear a word I said?" Mrs. Summers asked, annoyance seeping into her voice. "Buffy what’s wrong? Is someone bothering you? A kid at school?"

Buffy looked at her mom, a serious look on her face. "No, no one in school, Just a 200-year-old crazy vampire lady who’s trying to kill me."

"Buffy I’m serious. What’s wrong?"

"Nothing mom." And with that, Buffy got out of the car and walked up the sidewalk towards the school. "Bye mom," Buffy yelled over her shoulder.

Buffy walked straight towards the library as soon as she got into the school. "GILES!"

"Yes?" Giles came out from behind the stacks of books, causing Buffy to scream. "Sorry to scare you, Buffy. Now, what is wrong?"

"Angel said Dru is sending the fang gang after me. I think we should step up our training."

"All right, if that’s what you want. Go get changed and I’ll get my pads." As Buffy walked away, Giles groaned. "Why me?"

Buffy kicked Giles with all her strength. As her foot connected with his chest, Giles groaned and held up his hands. "Enough! Bu-Buffy, we we’ve been at it for..for an hour. Stop!"

"Come on Giles, I’m just getting warmed up here." She lifted her leg to kick again but Giles stepped away, putting a chair between the two of them.

"Buffy, what’s going on? You usually are in control of your strength. What’s wrong??"

"Nothing. Nothing’s wrong, nothing’s going on, and I am not out of control!" Buffy picked up her school bag and stormed out of the library.

Giles took off his pads and threw them on the table. "Something’s definitely wrong with that girl.

Buffy was walking out of the Bronze, her head hanging low. She decided to leave because she was really not in the mood to be partying. She looked so sad, she was making Willow and Xander feel bad. And that was the last thing she wanted.

"Well, Well, Well, if it isn’t the little Slayer."

Buffy looked up to see four angry vamps in front of her.

"What’s wrong Slayer? Did ya loose your stake?"

"Drop dead fang boy," Buffy yelled as she glared at the group. "I’m really not in the mood to fight so lets make this quick."

"I don’t think so little missy."

Buffy punched the first vamp square in the face. She delivered a perfect kick to the second one. The third one advanced and kicked her hard in the ribcage. The fourth one grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her back as the third one continued to kick Buffy in the ribs. Buffy held all of her pain inside, silently screaming in her head. She only screamed out loud when the vampire succeeded in breaking her ribs.

"Didn’t your mothers ever teach you how to treat beautiful ladies?" A voice asked from the shadows. One of the vamps approached the stranger only to get kicked in the face. The stranger quickly got rid of the others. Carefully, he approached Buffy who had collapsed to the ground.

"Buffy, are you OK?"

Buffy’s world was spinning out of control. Everything was getting blurry. She could feel a sticky, warm liquid rolling down her face. She thought she heard Angel call out her name, but before she could say anything, her whole world went black.

Angel pick up Buffy’s limp body and carried her towards her house. Carefully, he jumped up onto her roof and walked in through her window. He laid her on her bed and quietly turned on a light. He cleaned the cuts on her face and hands and then felt her ribcage. Even through the thick sweater she wore, he could still feel a large, sharp lump. He grimaced as he pushed the rib back into place, thankful that she would heal quickly. He hated to think of her being in any pain. Angel covered her up with the blankets, turned off the light, and sat down next to Buffy’s bed, silently crying in the night.

At about 10:30, Mrs. Summers came home. Angel quickly and quietly hid himself in the closet when he heard Mrs. Summers coming towards Buffy’s room.

Mrs. Summers walked in and looked around the room. She was surprised to see Buffy sleeping soundly. She hadn’t expected her daughter to be home. She walked over to Buffy’s bed and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Buffy stirred. Mrs. Summers quickly left, not wanting to wake her daughter.

Angel practically ran to Buffy’s side when Mrs. Summers left. By then, Buffy’s eyelids were beginning to flutter open. She saw Angel and gave a small, weak smile. "Angel," she whispered in a voice that was barely audible. As soon as she spoke, she winced in pain. Angel put a finger on her lips, silencing her, but Buffy pulled his finger away. "What happened?"

"You were attacked. They beat you pretty badly." Angel paused for a moment. "Why didn’t you listen to me? You could have been killed tonight. You shouldn’t have gone out."

"I’m not going to live in fear of her. I…I can’t do that. I’d go insane if I was constantly worrying and always looking over my shoulder."

Angel nodded silently, understanding how she felt. As much as he loved her, he didn’t want he to have to live like that. He would do anything so that she wouldn’t have to live in fear all of her life. Even if it meant giving up his.

When Buffy woke up the next morning, she found her shades closed and Angel on the floor next to her bed. She smiled when she saw him there because she thought he had left when she fell back asleep. Buffy sat up but when she did, she was greeted with pain and dizziness. < Great, just what I need. How am I going to explain this to my mother? >

"Buffy?"

Buffy turned around and saw Angel looking down at her, a worried expression on his face. "I’m fine, Angel."

Angel nodded. "You ARE the Slayer. You heel quick. You should be as good as new in a couple days."

Buffy groaned. "Great. You know, as my official Guardian Angel, Mr. Cryptic Man, you’re gonna have to help me figure out what to tell my mother."

Angel rolled his eyes. "Great," he replied sarcastically.

Buffy and Angel slowly walked into the library together. Angel had his arm around Buffy’s waist, holding her up. When the two walked in, Willow and Xander looked up. Willow from her laptop and Xander from his lunch.

"Well, Well, Well, don’t we look chummy?" Xander asked with his mouth full. "Buffy and Dead Boy walking arm in arm. Make’s me wanna barf!"

Willow glared at Xander and poked him in the ribs. "Xander!"

Xander turned to his best friend. "What?" As he said that, little chewed up pieces of cake fell out of his mouth.

"Xander, you’re such a pig," said Willow, a disgusted look on her face.

"Oink, Oink!!!"

"Xander, please, try to keep the ick factor at bay," said Cordelia Chase as she sauntered into the library. Cordy was kinda Xander’s girl and she was a very snobby girl. She was so snobby, Xander wasn’t really sure if he liked her or not some times. "And Buffy, what is with this fake ‘I can’t walk so I’m gonna lean on Angel’ limp thing? As if we couldn’t tell it was fake. A little word of advice, don’t become an actress." And with that, Cordy sat down in a chair.

Xander stared at Cordelia as she situated herself in the chair. He then turned to Buffy. "Since when did you take up acting, Buff? And why weren’t we told? I think as offical Slayerettes, we should have been told. Don’t you Will? Xander turned towards Willow, but she wasn’t there. She was by Buffy’s side, a worried expression on her face.

"Buffy, what happened? Why didn’t you tell us sooner? Does Giles know? Why don’t you sit down. Are you going to.."

"Whoa girl, breath!" said Buffy. "I’m fine, but I do think I’d like to sit down."

"Buffy, what happened?" Willow asked again as soon as Buffy was seated. This time, Willow was a little bit calmer.

"Vampires, fight, Angel to the rescue, blah, blah. You know, the usual." Buffy said, an ammused look on her face.

"Buffy this is serious," Willow said. "You could have been badly hurt you know."

"I know Will. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful from now on." Buffy looked up at Angel. "And I have a Guardian Angel to watch over me."

Angel looked down at his Buffy and smiled. He loved her. And he always would.