Buffy sighed as she walked around the LA Graveyard. It was Saturday, and she should be out on a date with Tyler. His name didn’t exactly perk her up, though. She knew he had been cheating on her, but she really liked him and wanted to give him a chance. Sometimes, she envied all the geeks at her school. They always seemed to have fun with their nerdy friends. And no one thought they were stupid, or ditzy. Buffy was never taken seriously, and she hated it. She longed for parents who spent time with her, a boyfriend that loved and respected her, and friends that were caring and real. She sighed again as she took in her surroundings.

Dark, empty, and boring. Why oh why couldn’t she be at home, studying?

He watched her carefully. She didn’t look very happy, more alone and depressed. That made him feel alone and depressed. He wished she would smile, his heart always felt care free when she did. Whistler had given Angel money, a lot of it, and helped him get clothes and a haircut, along with some possessions for a place to live. For now, he stayed with Whistler in an abandoned building.

Over the last few months, Angel had followed Buffy constantly, keeping an eye out for her. He convinced himself it was only because she was small and arrogant, and wouldn’t last long without someone to watch over her every move. But deep inside, he knew otherwise. Angel felt attached to her, attracted. She was young, beautiful, and sweet, but there was something else. He tried to push the feelings away, telling himself that the girl was cocky, rude, and dishonest. But the truth was, he loved her cockiness and sarcasm, her rudeness was only present with her watcher, and she only lied to her friends and family to protect them from the horrid truth about herself and the real world.

He felt so confused. Angel wished more than anything right now he could see her smile. It always made him happy. He continued circling her from a distance, thinking over how much he liked her, when he heard a low growl from the bushes just behind her, in front of him.

Buffy leapt up surprised. She had been thinking about what excuse she was going to use tonight for showing up past curfew, and had pretty much forgotten about her sacred duty. She grabbed a stake from her coat and turned to face the vampire. It wasn’t just one, there were 7, maybe 8.

*Oh God,* she thought, her eyes widening. "Umm…ah," she said out loud.

"You’re gonna die, Girly," laughed one of the taller demons. She didn't doubt that right now.

Angel was startled. He hadn’t sensed a vampire near by, let alone 8. He silently cursed himself for letting the slayer take over his thoughts. He stared at Buffy, he thought that was her name, intently as fear and confusion came over her face. He had to do something, but what? He leaned down and picked a rock up from the ground. He threw it as hard as he could at the tallest vampire’s head. It hit him with a smack.

The beast growled in pain. A rock had seemingly come from nowhere and hit the damn thing. Buffy looked in the direction she thought she had seen it come flying from. She could have sworn she saw the shadow of a young man, but in an instant it was gone. The vampire ordered three of them to go in that direction, while 5 stayed near her.

Angel hadn’t been careful enough. He knew she had probably seen him. And now 3 uglies were heading his way. He led them a little ways out of the area, before he attacked. Putting on his game face, he jumped the one closest.

He easily had him dusted before the other two could react. He had soon taken care of them all when he heard a scream from the cemetery. *Buffy,* he thought. Anger and fear bubbled up inside of him like never before. He couldn’t explain it, but he was thinking of how much he would mutilate those demons if they hurt her.

He rushed up the hill in time to see her collapse from the blow she had just received from what seemed to be the leader. She had managed to kill two vamps, but the other three seemed to be enjoying the wounds they were causing.

He crept up to them and stabbed one unsuspecting victim from behind. The other two turned and looked at him, a bit surprised. "Get him!" yelled the leader. The smaller vamp made easy prey and was soon destroyed. Now, only the leader and himself were left, with an unconscious slayer at their feet. The vampire, realizing his misfortune, turned in an attempt to flee from Angel. Angel was quicker, and he was pissed. He grabbed the other demon by the hair and pulled him downward, causing his neck to snap. He howled in pain as he tried to sit up. Angel delivered a strong kick to his side, and bashed his head into a nearby grave marker. Then, he took his stake and slowly drove it through the vampire’s evil heart, enjoying his little revenge. As it turned to dust, he remembered the whole reason he was here.

His triumphant smile quickly faded when he saw the tiny body of the slayer. He kneeled down to her and examined her bruises. A blow to her head was the major damage. She had a few cuts on her arms, but she would be okay. He gently lifted her into his arms and carried her to the abandoned building that was his home.

Whistler wasn’t home, so that problem was taken care of. He took her to his room and gently placed her on his bed. He found an old first aid kit and cleaned her up while she slept. Once he was satisfied with his job, he sat down beside her.

He wasn’t sure exactly what he was doing. He traced his fingers along the side of her face and examined her closely. Whistler hadn’t told him much about her. She was 15, a freshman at Hemrey, and her name was Buffy Summers. That was about it. He had viewed her as a stuck-up spoiled snob when he first saw her. But later that evening, he had developed feelings for the girl. She had a rough life, and had many problems like himself.

He brushed a stray hair from her forehead. Her hair was long and silky. Before he knew what he was doing, he bent down and kissed her softly on the lips. He let his face linger near hers for a moment, then he drew back fully, surprised at himself. It was time to take her home before she woke up. He picked her up and carried her to her house.

He snuck her in through an open window and drew back the covers of her bed. Once he had lain her down and tucked her in, he bent down once more to brush his lips against hers. He took in the scent of her. He pulled back and sat down on her windowsill. Or one of them, she had large windows, which made it easier for him, or Tyler, to look in on her.

He didn’t like Tyler. He was mean, selfish, and didn’t treat Buffy right. If Buffy were his girlfriend, he’d take care of her better than anyone. He’d love her and be careful with her. He didn’t know where these thoughts kept coming from. He shook his head and started when she moaned and stirred. He quickly jumped out of the window and watched outside as she awoke.

Buffy’s head hurt. She reached her hand up to it and moaned. Stupid vampires…Vampires! She sat up with a start. Only to find herself safely tucked in bed. *What the…?* she thought. It couldn’t have been a dream. She still had her clothes on and the headache to prove it. She also had scratches and even a bite mark on her arm.

She bit her lip, remembering how close she had been to death, only to taste a sweet flavor. It tasted kind of like Tyler’s lips when he kissed her, only it tasted warmer and nice. Like she had been kissed by an older guy. Weird. She shook her head and went back to sleep. She’d sort it all out in the morning.

Angel stayed outside her room, until an hour before sunrise. He made it home, Whistler was still gone, and went to his room. He took of his shoes and shirt and flopped himself on his bed. He could smell Buffy’s sweet scent around him, where she had lain. He licked his lips, and her taste was still there. He knew this was wrong, terribly wrong. Then and there he vowed himself to stay away from her, to stop thinking and dreaming of her. But he couldn’t control his dreams. *Oh, what’ll dreams hurt?* he thought as he drifted off with her in his mind.

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