Buffy walked in her house straight-face, not looking at all saddened.

"Buffy, is that you?" Joyce called.

"Yeah, I'm home," Buffy said.

Joyce came downstairs putting an earing in her ear. She was dressed smartly.

"Mom?" Buffy asked.

"I know, honey. I have to run to L.A. for the weekend. To look at some stuff for the gallery. My flight leaves in an hour. I made dinner. Have you eaten?" Joyce asked.

"No, I'd love some dinner. What'd you make?" Buffy asked, flashing a brilliant smile.

"Chicken," Joyce answered

"Yum."

They started off for the dining room. Buffy ate her dinner with ferocity. Joyce is stunned, not upset, but stunned.

"You seem to be eating better," Joyce commented.

Buffy glanced up from her plate. She smiled at her mother, but made no attempt to respond. Joyce tried to force the issue.

"Would it have to do with a certain . . . friend of yours?" Joyce asked.

Buffy dropped her fork.

"I haven't seen him in a long time," Buffy replied. <> remembering the last time she saw him as Angel and not the guilt-man.

"I thought you loved each other," Joyce blurted.

"When a vampire gets their soul back, they remember everything that they did. I'm just giving him time to straighten out his life. It's been a real strain on . . . everything," Buffy said despondently.

"So, you, uh, plan to be sleeping here, alone?" Joyce asked.

"Yes. I will be," Buffy assured her.

"Good, I mean, well, good."

Buffy asked, "Would you mind calling me when you get to L.A.?"

"I don't think I have to call you to make sure your home. I trust you, sweetie."

"I'd just feel better if you called," Buffy replied.

She took off her silver cross (one not given by Angel) and handed it to her mother. Her mother took it in her hands and glanced unsurely at Buffy.

"It would make me feel better," Buffy said.

"Okay, Buffy, I will," Joyce said as she glanced at her watch. "I'd better go. I got your report card today."

"Oh, uh, well . . ."

"I was kinda impressed. Your lowest grade was a C+ in math. I'm really proud," Joyce said, quite pleased that her daughter was not failing any classes.

" A 'C'? Really?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah. Keep up the good work. You wanna try shooting for A's and B's next quarter?" Joyce asked.

"Yeah."

They hugged and Joyce walked toward the door.

"I'll be back either late Sunday or early Monday morning. I'll tell you tomorrow when I find out. Be good, and I love you," Joyce said.

"Love you too," Buffy said.

The door shut. Buffy waited to hear the car start and drive past her house. Buffy ran upstairs and flung herself onto her bed. She started to cry deep, chest-burning sobs. She lied there for a second before glancing up at Angel who was watching her from the window.

"I made you cry again," Angel said regretfully.

She wiped tears from her eyes.

"I wasn't crying because of you . . . I was crying for you. I don't want you to suffer, and I don't you to be alone," Buffy replied.

"Can I come in?" Angel asked, knowing very well he was asking an all-access pass to her house and making a commitment.

"Oh, yeah, come on in," Buffy said, pleased that he wanted to come in at all.

Angel stepped through her window. Neither of them made a sound nor a movement as they watched each other. Buffy got off her bed and looked up at Angel with tear-filled eyes.

"This can't work, Buffy. I'm a vampire that has tortured his only friends, and you're a Slayer that needs to save the world," Angel said, pleading with her to hate him.

"We've had this discussion a thousand times, Angel. It won't work. I need you as much as you need me. And don't say you don't because I can see it in your eyes," Buffy responded surely.

Buffy stepped forward and tried again to soothe him. At last, he gave in and pulled her closely to him. This time, she broke off the kiss.

"You see? I told you," Buffy said triumphantly.

Angel pulled her to him again and they kiss. Deep down, Buffy shudders with pleasure. They pulled apart again, and he looked deeply into her eyes.

"Why was I born nearly two-and-a-half centuries ago? Why couldn't I see you in the sunlight and take you to lunch?" Angel asked.

"Because things wouldn't have happened the same. You wouldn't have known where to find the Master, and I'd be dead. You saved me from the Three. I would have been dead long before we ever started going out," Buffy replied.

"I miss you," Angel said simply.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"I miss you. I miss seeing you smile at me. I miss hearing your voice in the back of my head. I miss not feeling like I had killed you. It hurts so much. . . ." Angel clarified.

"I know. I wanna help you."

"How?" he asked, directing intense bitterness at himself.

"I don't know. I just wanna help you feel alive again. I know you felt alive," Buffy said, voicing what she knew all along.

"I don't know if that can ever happen again. I remember everything that I did to you, and I want to say . . ."

Buffy put her fingers to his lips, but he brushed them gently away.

". . .that even as a demon, I was attracted to you. I won't call it love, but it was so close, it makes my heart ache. It was an obsession. Not like my obsession with Drusilla. I wanted to kill her because she was pure and clean. I wanted to make you a vampire so we could be together," Angel admitted.

Buffy was too stunned to speak. Angel turned his head away from her and examined her dresser as if interested. He looked back up at Buffy who had begun to shed silent tears.

"I hated you so much. . . . I wanted to kill you. . . ." Buffy whispers.

"I deserved to die. I deserve it now," Angel said.

Buffy looked up at him with sheer fear in her eyes. Her sobs had become loud and panicked. Angel looked at her.

"God, Angel, you're going to give me a heart-attack! Don't ever think that! It would kill me!" Buffy said.

Angel pulled her close and smoothed down her hair. The phone rang and Buffy went to answer it. Her grasp for composure was amazing.

"Hello? Oh, hi, Mom. I didn't realize you were going to get there so fast," Buffy said calmly.

"Are you kidding? My flight was delayed! I'm about thirty-minutes late," Joyce said.

"I must have fallen asleep. Any problems?" Buffy asked.

"No, I'm just fine. I'll call you in the morning before I go to the auction. Okay?" Joyce asked.

"Sure, I'll be waiting for your call. See ya when you get back," Buffy said.

"Okay, well, my cab's here, so I'll be going. Love you," Joyce said.

"Love you too," Buffy replied.

When Buffy turned around, Angel was gone. She set the phone on the jack and lied down on her bed. She looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes.

"Good night, Angel," Buffy whispered.

"Good night, Buffy," Angel whispered as he ambled away from her house.

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