Fortunately for him, all his fears were unfounded. The movie she had chosen was "The Mark of Zorro" with Tyrone Powers. How she had found out that it was one of his favorite movies he had no idea. He felt surprisingly at ease sitting on his couch next to Jenny, watching Don Diego dispatch Captain Esteban.

So of course he found it annoying when he heard a knock art the door.

"I wonder who that could be?" he mused aloud

"Unless you have expanded your social circle recently it's probably the kids, which of course would mean the end of our quiet evening." Jenny responded.

Giles nodded as he got up to go to the door. If Buffy and her friends were at his door it meant there was a problem, some new supernatural threat that needed to be overcome. That was why he was surprised to find not a teenager on his porch, but a man in his thirties. For his part Alex just looked for a moment at the other man, lost in contemplation.

"Hello, can I help you? " The surprised watcher asked the stranger.

"I hope so." Was the answer.

Alex reached into his coat and pulled out an envelope and handed it to Giles. "You need to read this letter and then meet me tomorrow night in the school library."

With that Alex turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Called an incensed Giles "What do you mean by 'read this and meet me tomorrow', and then just walk off? I think you had better explain yourself."

Alex turned back towards Giles. "Trust me, nothing I have to say is going to make any sense until you've read that letter and had time to think about it."

"But what..." Started Giles.

"Look, I have a lot to get done and not a lot of time to do it. Just read the damn letter and meet me tomorrow, Alone!"

With that the now agitated Alex stormed off, leaving a very perplexed Giles standing on his porch watching the stranger leave.

"Who was that Rupert?" Asked Jenny, coming into the foyer from he living room.

"I don't know. A strange man who has left me a cryptic note."

"So nothing really unusual for Sunnydale."

"I wish I could share you level of amusement, but there was something about him. He seemed almost familiar, although I'm sure I would have remembered him is we had met before."

"Well why don't you come back to the living room and read me the letter."

"I'm not sure. He implied that I shouldn't involve anyone else. I think I should read the letter myself and then decide whether or not to share it." Jenny seemed a little let down by that.

"All right, if you think that is best. But at least wait until after the movie is over."

"Very well." he agreed.

Later, after Jenny had left for the evening, Giles sat down at his dinner table and opened the envelope. after finishing the letter he just sat, his face having drained of much of its color.

(This can't be possible.) He thought.

_____________________________________________

Angel entered his apartment feeling the same melancholy he felt ever time he saw Buffy. As much as he wanted to be with her he knew that it was a bad idea. He was a vampire and she was the slayer. No matter how many times he went over it he could find no way to make it work out without inviting tragedy. But at the same time he couldn't stay away from her. He knew that the pressure was building and something was bound to burst, especially when you threw Xander into the mix. Xander had made no secret about how he felt about Buffy. It bothered Angel every time he saw them together, since tragedy was not a forgone conclusion if they had a relationship. Of course that would require Buffy actually noticing Xander, which hadn't really happened yet, at least not on a conscious level. On a subconscious level was another question entirely. After all it was Xander who had saved her in the Master's lair. Angel knew that as long as this situation lasted there would be friction between Xander and himself, not that he felt particularly threatened by Xander, at least not physically.

He went to the fridge, hoping that feeding would help to dull the edge in his mind.

"Funny, I figured you would have noticed me by now." Said a strange voice.

Angel turned quickly to see a man standing in the corner of his apartment in the shadows. He silently chided himself for being so wrapped up in his problems that he didn't notice the intruder. He quickly closed the distance between them and grabbed the stranger by the throat and lifted him off the floor.

"Who the hell are you?" the vampire demanded.

Alex grabbed Angel's wrist with his right hand. Angel felt pain lance out from his wrist causing him to loosen his grip on the intruder. Alex hit Angel square on the nose with an open palm strike with his right hand while sweeping his left foot causing the vampire to lose his balance. Angel fell and was momentarily disorientated by the force of the blow and the pain caused by what ever was in his opponent's hand. He looked up and saw that the human was just standing there, apparently waiting for him to get up.

"I wish you hadn't done that." Alex said calmly, as Angel got back to his feet, his handsome human features replaced by the demonic visage of his vampire self.

Angel took up a fighting stance.

"I'll make you wish you'd never been born."

Angel punched at the human. He was surprised that instead of blocking the blow or trying to dodge away, the man stepped forward and hit Angel in the shoulder, robbing the punch of any real power. He than followed threw by grabbing Angel's wrist with his right hand and yanking. The combination of the sudden pull and the pain caused by whatever it was he had in his palm caused Angel to fall for a second time.

"I already wish I'd never been born. "Alex said.

Angel looked up at Alex. He realized that this guy was good, maybe even better than he was. Alex reached into his overcoat. Angel was sure he was going for a stake, but instead he pulled out an envelope. He threw it down to the prone vampire.

"Open the letter and read it. If you want to learn more after that, meet me at the school library tomorrow night. And please don't let anyone except Giles know about this."

With that Alex turned and started to leave the apartment. "What makes you think I'm going to let you leave?" Asked Angel, getting up again.

"Because you can't stop me." Was the answer Alex gave while putting on a pair of dark glasses. "I know you too well."

Alex threw something into the air. Suddenly the room was filled with a blinding light. Angel's eyes, use to centuries of darkness, were unready for the brightness. By the time he had recovered his sight the stranger was gone.

Angel was furious that a mortal could overcome him so easily. He grabbed the envelope and tore it open. After reading the letter he was no less agitated, but the emotion had switched from rage to uncertainty and just a little fear.

(This can't be happening.) He thought, looking at the letter again. (Who the hell is this guy?)