The One I Waited For

Part Thirteen

Angel guided her to the dance floor, her hand in his. He clutched it as if he'd never let her go, which he didn't want to. A slow song began when they found an empty space among the other dancing students.

//Take me as I am, put your hand in mine Now and forever Darling, here I stand, stand before you now Deep inside I always knew It was you, you and me Two hearts drawn together bound by destiny It was you, and you for me Every road leads to your door, every step I take forevermore.//

"Angel, why did you come? I thought you didn't get the whole Prom thing." His presence sent chills down her spine.

"Willow asked me to come. She told me about your encounter at the mall with Kevin and how you told him that you had a date. She wants you to be happy, Buffy; didn't want you to be alone for your Prom. So she asked me this afternoon if I would come."

"And you did? Just for me?"

"She also mentioned that you were going to ask me."

Buffy groaned. "I'm going to kill her," she threatened.

"Willow only wants what's best for you. It's flattering to think you wanted to go with me. Had you asked, I would have said yes."

"You would have? God, what an idiot I am."

Angel placed his hand under her chin, lifting her head so he could gaze into her green eyes. "Why?"

"Because I messed everything up. I never should have done what I did. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for. Buffy, I ha no right to presume I could touch you like that. It was wrong of me, I should have known better. I hope you can forgive me."

He's apologizing to me? Why? I started it; I kissed him and he kissed me back. Angel didn't do anything wrong. Buffy was unable to find the right words to say this to him. She grinned up at him, letting her feelings be known through a simple gesture.

Never had she felt so sure that the kiss was not a mistake. She no longer regretted it, and took comfort in being near him. Buffy brought her head to his chest, resting it comfortably above his rapidly beating heart. Her arms wrapped tightly around Angel, and he did the same to her.

//Take me as I am, put your heart in mine Stay with me forever 'Cause I am just a man I never understood, I never had a thing to prove There was you, you and me That it all came clear so suddenly I'm close to you that I wanna be.//

He never imagined he would ever be so close to Buffy again. I don't deserve this, he thought. He had made a mistake in overstepping his bounds as Watcher and let his feelings take control when they kissed. Angel believed he'd ruined any chances of gaining her love, but now he wasn't so sure. Buffy had forgiven him for his lack of judgment, and his hope returned.

Nothing had ever felt so right as holding Buffy in his arms did. He held her close, pressing her to him. He wanted so much to tell her he loved her, and then show her exactly how much. But he couldn't do that; no, not unless she felt the same way. Instead of giving in and kissing her on the lips like he wanted to do, Angel pressed his lips to her hair, gently kissing her head, where she probably wouldn't notice.

Buffy did notice, though. She sighed softly when his lips made contact with her. This is perfect. I'm dancing with Angel and he kissed me. I'm in his arms. But I can't even tell him how I feel. He would think I am too young to know what real love is. I do know. And he's it. Him. My true love. Here I am, in the arms of my true love and I can't even say anything.

I love you, they both said silently, as the dance continued.

"Look at them," observed Willow. She watched Buffy and Angel slow dance from across the room. "It worked."

"Your plan? Did you ever doubt it would, Will?" asked Oz.

She shook her head. "Not at all. They are so in love with each other, but they are too stubborn to say anything. All they needed was a push in the right direction."

"And you gave it to them. Always a matchmaker."

"They are so right for each other." They saw Angel kiss the top of Buffy's head. "See what I mean? Look at him. You can't tell me his body language doesn't just scream 'I love Buffy.'"

"Don't you think if they love each other they will get together eventually?" Oz adored his girlfriend's mechanisms.

"Oz, they are so thick-headed. Buffy and Angel needed my help. I want Buffy to be happy. And I know that Angel will make her happy. I just know it."

"But you can't force them to become a couple. Doesn't that require communication and kissing?"

Willow nodded and smiled. "That's where Xander comes in."

//Do you believe a love could run so strong? Do you believe that love could pass you by? There was a special one for me I was the lonely one, you see But then my heart lost all control Now you're all that I know.//

"Buffy?"

"Yes?"

"There's something I want to tell you."

Angel felt the moment was right. Even if she rejected him, at least he told her. He doubted she felt the same way, but he was getting sick of keeping the truth from her.

Buffy looked up at him. "What?"

"I--" he started. Then, Angel lost his nerve. No, he wouldn't be able to handle her rejection. Buffy meant the world to him, and without her he didn't know if he could go on. "You look lovely. You are truly the most beautiful girl here."

Buffy blushed. "Thank you." Coming from him, Buffy believed it. "You look pretty good yourself."

Who am I kidding, Buffy asked herself. He's the most gorgeous man alive. And I'm here with him. How did I ever get so lucky? Her head kept telling her something different. You aren't that lucky. Angel's in love with someone. And it's not you.

//Just say you'll love me for the rest of your life I've got a lot of love and I don't wanna let go Will you still love me for the rest of my life? 'Cause I can't go on, no I can't go on I can't go on if I'm on my own 'Cause I can't go on, no I can't go on 'Cause I can't go on, no I can't go on I can't go on without somebody I can call my own 'Cause I can't go on, no I can't go on Stay around, and never be alone...//

The song ended, but Buffy and Angel continued to hold each other. Neither wanted the moment to end. It had to, an up tempo song began playing. They broke their embrace, and Buffy was worried he would leave.

"Are you leaving now?"

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked.

"No!" she shouted. "I mean, I thought you came just to show Kevin I have a date."

"Well, at first that's why I came. But, I'd kind of like to stay, if you don't mind."

'Mind? Hell no!' "You actually want to stay and be my..."

"Date. I would very much like to be your Prom date, Buffy."

Buffy smiled. "So would I."

********

"Did you guys go get pictures taken?" Willow wanted to know when Buffy and Angel made their way over a half-hour later.

"Yeah. We decided to get some so we'd have something to remember this night by," replied Buffy, who smiled at Angel.

"I never went to my Prom, this is the closest thing I've ever come. I don't want to forget it."

Willow grinned at him. "Are you having a good time?"

He nodded. "Thank you for convincing me to come, Willow. I'm having a great time." I could be anywhere with Buffy and have a great time.

"Good. Are you going to Xander's house tonight?"

"Xander's?"

Buffy grabbed Angel's arm. "Oh yeah! Xander is having a post-Prom party/sleepover thing. Would you like to come with me?"

"I don't want to intrude or anything," Angel said.

"Not at all. You're my date, you wouldn't be intruding. Please come." Buffy really wanted Angel to go to the party with her, which would require him to spend the night with her. Again.

"Only if you're sure."

"Of course I'm sure. The more the merrier. We'll have a great time, and I know Xander won't mind if you come." Buffy glanced at Willow.

"He won't. I'll go tell him right now." As Willow took off to find Xander yet again, she thought, My plan is working perfectly. By tomorrow at this time, Buffy and Angel will be a couple.

Part Fourteen

Prom continued for another four hours. Buffy had never had so much fun as she had that night. Being there with Angel made it even better. They weren't apart for more than five minutes at a time, dancing, laughing and simply enjoying each other's company. Throughout the night, Buffy caught sight of several of her female classmates eyeing Angel, but she paid no mind. He was with her, nobody else.

"This is going to work out perfectly," Willow said. "Xander, you know what to do, right?"

He nodded. "Yep. I still don't see why we can't let nature take its course."

"Like I told Oz, those two are way too stubborn. They need a push, and we are going to give it to them."

"Fine. But if it backfires, I had nothing to do with it."

"It won't backfire. I promise."

********

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," Buffy told Angel when they were walking to his car.

"If you don't want me to, I won't." Angel wasn't sure if she really wanted him there or if she was being nice and felt guilty.

"I would like it if you came, but if you feel uncomfortable..."

Angel smiled at her. "No, if you want me there, I'll go. Besides, it's not like I won't know anyone. I'm sure I will have a good time."

"Okay."

On the drive to Xander's house, Buffy stared at the road ahead of them, glancing at Angel out of the corner of her eye. His hair blew in the wind from his convertible. She bit her lip and looked at the road, trying to keep her mind off of how much she wanted to touch him.

Ten minutes later they stood on Xander's front porch, waiting for him to answer the door. "Hey there, you two," Xander greeted, opening the door.

"Hi. Are you going to let us in or are you going to have the party out here?" asked Buffy.

"Sorry, Buff. Come on in."

Buffy and Angel walked through the door. They were the last to arrive; Cordelia, Willow and Oz sat on the floor in the living room, watching television in their pajamas. Buffy asked Xander, "Where can we change?"

"My bedroom or the bathroom. Take your pick."

"Which do you want?" she asked Angel.

"I don't have a change of clothes," he told her.

Xander laughed. "You can borrow something of mine. They should fit."

"I guess I'll take the bathroom then," Buffy said. As she headed to the bathroom, Xander led Angel to his bedroom.

In the bathroom, Buffy changed out of her Prom dress and into a gray t-shirt and flannel pants. She wiped all of the make-up off her face, thinking about how great the night had been.

Would I have had as good a time with Kevin? Would we be in L.A. right now, at the hotel? God, why do I even care? Stop thinking about what might have been. I'm here with Angel and I had a great time with him. Kevin doesn't matter anymore; I don't love him. He never made me feel the way Angel does.

She returned to the living room, stifling a laugh when she saw Angel. Xander dressed him in a light blue Hawaiian shirt and black boxer shorts.

"What are you wearing?" she asked with a giggle.

Angel shrugged. "Everything else was too small."

"Yeah, well, Xander's kind of scrawny." 'And you are so big. Muscles...lots of them.'

"Hey!" complained Xander.

Cordelia stood up. "This sucks. There's nothing good on T.V.. I'm bored."

"We can always play a game," Willow said, winking at Xander.

"Let's play Truth or Dare," he suggested.

"Truth or Dare? Please, how juvenile," Cordelia commented.

Xander looked at Buffy and Angel. "Come on, guys. You two are the deciding vote."

"What about Oz?" Buffy asked.

"I go with Willow. She wants to play, so do I."

"Sure, count me in," the blonde Slayer replied. "Angel?"

He was a little wary at first, but if Buffy was going to play, he'd do it too. "Yeah. I haven't played in a long time, though."

"Great. Everybody sit in a circle," ordered Xander. The group did as they were told. "Remember, no changing your mind. Once you agree to truth or dare, you have to do it."

"Who goes first?" Oz asked.

"I'll start. Xander, truth or dare?" questioned Willow.

"Truth."

"How do you feel about Cordy?"

"She's my girlfriend. I care about her. More than I'd like to, sometimes."

"I believe you." Willow saw Cordelia grin at Xander's answer. "Your turn."

He scanned the group. "Buffy, truth or dare?"

She scrunched her nose. "Truth."

"Do you miss Kevin?"

"Not for a second," she replied without hesitation. "Cordy, truth or dare?"

Angel watched with interest as everybody answered their questions honestly. None of them took a dare. He had to answer a few simple questions, like where he was born and how old he was. As time went on, the questions became increasingly personal.

"Angel, truth or dare?" Willow wanted to know.

He thought for a second. "Truth."

"Have you ever been in love?"

The question took him by surprise. But Willow knew the answer to it. "Not until recently."

Willow grinned. 'Maybe he'll admit it.' "Anyone we know?"

"I don't know."

"Okay, your turn."

"Oz, truth or dare?"

Twenty minutes went by. Cordelia became antsy. "I'm getting bored again."

"Fine. One more question." It was Xander's turn. "Truth or dare, Angel?"

He took a deep breath. "Dare."

Xander and Willow exchanged a look. "Okay. You can't go back. You have to do what I tell you."

"I know the rules."

"Alright. I dare you to kiss Buffy."

Angel and Buffy looked at each other. Both of their hearts beat uncontrollably, their hands becoming hot and sweaty.

"And no cheek kissing. Full on the mouth," Xander said.

They stood up, gazing for a few moments at one another. Their faces moved closer, and they instinctively closed their eyes as their lips touched. They each expected the kiss to last only a few seconds. Angel started to break away but Buffy wouldn't let him. She kept her lips on his, not letting him leave. She had been waiting for this opportunity for weeks, and wasn't about to let it pass her by.

Both were breathless when they pulled away. Their cheeks were flushed and lips red from the kiss. "Well," Cordelia started. "That covers that."

"Perfect ending, wouldn't you say?" Willow commented.

Buffy glared at her best friend. She pulled her aside. "This was all a big set-up, wasn't it? You know I have feelings for Angel."

"Buffy, I thought it was a push in the right direction."

"It was wrong, Willow. He doesn't feel the same way."

"I don't know. Looked like he was enjoying it to me."

"Just stay out of it. Please. You're pushing this and doing the whole matchmaker thing is only going to hurt me more. I'm just gonna get my heart broken. You can't force something that isn't there," Buffy pleaded.

If only you knew the truth, thought the redhead. "Sorry. I won't push anymore."

They all decided to get some sleep. It had been a long, busy day for all of them, and they were dead tired.

"Where are we all sleeping?" Oz wanted to know.

"Mom and Dad are out of town, so that leaves the three bedrooms open. Cordy and I will take my room, Willow and Oz in my parents' room, and Buffy and Angel can have the guest room."

Buffy groaned. Not about having to share a room with Angel, but because her friend had obviously been planning this. Xander showed everyone to their respective bedrooms. Upon closing the door, Buffy and Angel looked at the bed.

"You take the bed. I'll sleep downstairs on the couch," offered Angel.

She vigorously shook her head. "No. You can stay here. I'm not going to make you sleep on the couch."

"Then I'll sleep on the floor."

"Angel, you think I'd actually let you sleep on the floor? Nuh-huh. We can share the bed, it's pretty big."

"Are you sure about this, Buffy? If this is uncomfortable at all..."

"It's not." Buffy climbed under the covers of the bed. She waited for Angel to join her on the other side. Laying her head on the pillow, she closed her eyes. She opened them slightly, watching Angel as he removed Xander's shirt. She metaphorically drooled at the sight of his well-defined, muscular chest. He shut off the bedside lamp and laid on top of the covers. Buffy didn't question it, figuring Angel was keeping minimum safe distance.

His nearness made her shiver. She'd never felt so cold, despite the three blankets covering her. Trying to warm up, Buffy shifted her position.

"Are you okay, Buffy?"

"Yeah."

"Cold?"

She nodded. "A little."

"If you want, I can move closer. More body heat might warm you up. Would you mind if I do that?" Angel asked.

Once again, Buffy nodded. The bed shifted next to her, and she thought, He's getting under the covers. Oh boy. Without warning, he embraced her, pulling her into his arms and closer to him. Buffy's back was pressed against his chest, and she sighed. She felt warm and safe, and immediately fell asleep, lulled by the sound of his beating heart.

"Good night, Buffy," Angel whispered in her ear.

Part Fifteen

She had never slept so soundly. Maybe it was Angel's arms around her, or the near-perfect evening she just had, but Buffy slept like a rock. And she had a wonderful dream on top of it all. She and Angel were walking hand-in-hand through the courtyard of Sunnydale High. They talked and smiled at each other, kissing every couple minutes. Kevin saw them and strolled over, calling Angel a cradle-robber, and asking why he had to steal his girlfriend. Buffy told Kevin that Angel didn't steal her away from him. When Kevin said to stay out of it, Angel ordered the boy to leave Buffy alone. But the boy was stubborn, and shoved Angel, who shoved him back. The push knocked Kevin into a puddle of mud. Everybody around them started laughing at him, making pig noises.

"Guess you really are a pig, Kevin. And now everybody knows it," taunted Buffy.

She woke up, laying on her left side, still locked in Angel's embrace. Buffy sighed, not wanting this seemingly perfect moment to end. She brought her hand up to his arm.

"Morning," Angel said.

Buffy turned her head. Angel lay on his side as well, his eyes open and aware. He'd been awake for some time. "Morning to you, too."

"How'd you sleep?"

"Like I hadn't in weeks. You?"

"Never better." It wasn't a lie. With his angel in his arms, Angel had slept better than ever before.

Buffy yawned. "What time is it?"

"Almost ten. Xander is out getting coffee and doughnuts. He left about half an hour ago."

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You looked so peaceful. I couldn't bring myself to disturb you," he admitted. Angel unwrapped his arms from Buffy's thin form, sitting up in bed. "Hope you aren't mad."

Buffy watched as the blankets fell to his hips. He's only wearing Xander's shorts! Oh God, keep cool. And don't stare! "Not at all. I need all the beauty rest I can get."

"That's not true. You are already beautiful."

"Thank you," she said shyly. "For everything. Last night meant a lot to me, you showing up and saving me from utter humiliation. And for coming to the party and putting up with Xander's cruel idea of fun."

He placed his hand on her upper arm. "I had a great time. I'd do it again just to see you this happy."

"For me?"

"In a heartbeat."

Why can't I tell him how I feel? That the kiss last night was the best I ever had. And that falling asleep in his arms felt like home to me. That I want to feel that way every day for the rest of my life.

"I guess we should get up now," Buffy said.

He nodded. "Yeah, we probably should." They both climbed out of bed. "You take the bathroom first. I'll wait until you're done."

"Angel, you don't have to do that. I don't mind waiting."

"Ladies first. I insist."

Angel walked downstairs, finding only Cordelia sitting at the kitchen table. "Hello, Cordelia," he greeted.

The girl looked up from the newspaper article she was reading. "Good morning," she replied, emphasizing the word "good." He had not bothered to put Xander's shirt back on. 'No wonder Buffy's got it bad for this guy. Hello, like total Greek god. How lucky is she?'

"Is anyone else up yet?"

She shook her head. "Just you, me and Xander. Where's Buffy?"

"In the bathroom, we just woke up."

"Late night?" she implied.

"Not in the sense you mean, Cordelia. I'm not dumb, I know what you're implying. Nothing happened."

"Sure. Like that kiss meant nothing to you two."

Angel eyed her. "It was just a kiss. A dare."

"Uh-huh. You think what you want to, Angel. But I know better."

********

"Thanks for driving me home," Buffy said when Angel dropped her off.

"You're welcome. It wouldn't be right to make you walk. Here, let me carry your bag." Angel took Buffy's overnight bag as they walked to her front porch.

Buffy smiled at him. "I know I must sound like a broken record, but thank you again. Prom would have been a total disaster otherwise."

"No, thank you for making me see what I missed out in high school."

She looked down at the ground. "Um, you can say no if you want to, but I was wondering if you had plans for tonight. Giles wants me to patrol, since I didn't last night. I thought you might want to go with me."

"Thank you for inviting me. I'd love to."

"Great. Want to meet here at seven?"

"It's a date." He leaned down, kissing her softly on the cheek. "Bye, Buffy."

"Good-bye."

She watched him pull out of the driveway before entering her house. After closing the front door behind her, Buffy leaned against it and sighed.

Mrs. Summers saw her daughter standing there. "Have a good time, honey?"

"The best."

"I can tell. You're beaming. I haven't seen you this happy in a long time."

"You were right, Mom. I had the time of my life."

"See? Going by yourself isn't all that bad."

Buffy moved away from the door, heading for the living room couch. Mrs. Summers sat next to her. "Willow asked Angel to come and be my date. He saved me from being humiliated by Kevin and he wanted to be my date."

"Really? That was very sweet of him."

"And we danced and talked. It was like we were the only two people in the world. Then we went to Xander's house, played Truth or Dare and we had to kiss. Mom, it was the best kiss ever. I fell asleep in his arms...it was just amazing!"

Mrs. Summers took note of the expression on Buffy's face. "You really like Angel, don't you?"

"I love him. Mom, I know what you are going to say; that I'm too young. But I do. In the year I dated Kevin, I never felt this way. Like it was meant to be. Until last night, I wasn't positive, but now I am. Angel and I are soulmates."

"I would never judge you that way, Buffy. I trust you, and if you believe that you love him, I am happy for you. Have you told Angel how you feel?" her mother asked.

"No. I wasn't one hundred percent until last night. And before that, I didn't even think he liked me. Now though, I think there might be a chance. It was the kiss. I could tell. And falling asleep in his arms, it felt so right."

"Why didn't you say anything to him before?"

Buffy shrugged. "I was afraid he'd laugh in my face. You know I've never handled rejection well."

"What makes you think he'll reject you? Buffy, I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I will give you some advice. Tell Angel how you feel; find out how he feels. If you think there's something between you two, you deserve to know for sure. It'll save you a world of hurt later down the road. Being open and honest is the best way to start a relationship," advised Mrs. Summers.

"You're right, Mom. The worst that can happen is he says he doesn't feel the same way. I have to tell him. Now, before I lose my nerve."

********

"Coming!" Angel called, hearing the knocking on the door. He'd been laying on the couch, reliving the past twenty-four hours. He found Buffy standing in the hall when he opened the door. "Buffy."

She smiled sheepishly. "Hi, Angel. May I come in?"

"Of course." She stepped inside and he closed the door, asking, "Is something wrong?"

When he turned to face her, Buffy was standing a foot away. She didn't answer him. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing his face down to meet hers. She caught his lips in a heated kiss which he wasted no time in responding to. Neither broke the kiss until the need to breathe overwhelmed them.

"What...?" Angel started. "Did I miss something?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, you didn't miss anything. There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

She took a deep breath, preparing to bare her soul. "I'm in love with you, Angel. Not just in a brother-sister kind of way; in an 'I want to be with you forever' kind of way. And I don't know how you feel, but I couldn't hold it in anymore. It's been eating away at me for weeks. On some subconscious level, I think I've been in love with you since I saw you. I never knew how you felt, so I held back and kept it a sec--"

Angel hushed Buffy's rambling with a kiss of his own. He placed his hands on her waist, lifting her to his level with ease. Her hands made their way to his hair, running through the dark brown spikes. Angel pressed her even closer to him, not allowing an inch of space between them. The kiss slowly ended, and he placed her back on the ground again, staring into her eyes.

"I love you, too, Buffy."

Part Sixteen

"You love me?" an astonished Buffy replied.

Angel nodded. He took her hands in his, leading her to the couch. They sat down, still holding hands. "I love you. I have since the moment I first laid eyes on you."

"But..." Then it sunk in. "The girl you told me about; love at first sight girl who had no idea how you felt. That was me, wasn't it?"

"Yes, Buffy. When you walked into the library the first day we met, I knew. I loved you. My destiny walked into my life in the form of a beautiful young woman named Buffy Summers. You. And my life has not been the same since," he explained.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"At first, because of Kevin. You seemed so happy with him and I didn't want to ruin that. I would have been selfish of me. Aside from that, there's the Watcher's Council. They firmly believe that a Slayer and her Watcher should be distanced from each other."

"You aren't my Watcher, Angel," Buffy pointed out.

"Technically, no. But to them, I'm still a Watcher, and by training with Giles, I am taking part in your training. In the Council's eyes, I am your Watcher."

"They are thousands of miles away! How could the ever find out?" Buffy saw the look on his face. "Giles. But as long as he doesn't find out, the Council will never know."

"Giles knows how I feel. The way I act around you, it made him realize what was going on. I don't know if he's going to tell them or not."

Buffy touched his cheek. "That's all you were worried about? Giles won't tell, I know him. And Kevin is so out of the picture. He has been for weeks. What kept holding you back?"

He looked away. "I thought I scared you."

"What? How?"

"When we first kissed, you ran away. I was afraid I came on too strong and it frightened you," he admitted.

She shook her head. "I ran away because I was afraid you'd want more; that I'd want more and out of fear of what I might do. Angel, I've never been kissed like that before. So many emotions were running through me, I thought I would do something really stupid. Not to mention, I was afraid of what you might think of me."

"That kiss...it was amazing, Buffy. I could never think less of you because of it, 'cause I wanted it, too. I wanted you; I still do."

"Really?"

"I honestly believe you are my true love. The one I'm destined to be with."

"Me too," she agreed. "Where does that leave us?"

He cupped her face in his hands. "I am going to follow my heart. Buffy, it has led me to you. I want more than anything to be with you, whether it be as a friend or a soulmate."

"I feel the same way. Only I won't settle for friendship. I want the whole package. Soulmate. Forever."

"Forever."

A gentle, loving kiss sealed their decision.

********

Buffy sat in Willow's bedroom an hour later. She needed to tell her best friend everything that happened.

"So, after I talked to Mom, I went to Angel's apartment. He barely got out a sentence before I jumped him."

Willow's eyes widened. "You're kidding."

"Well, I didn't literally jump him, but as soon as he closed the door, I kissed him. And he kissed me back and it was...wow."

"What did you say? What did he say?"

Buffy grinned. "I told him that I am in love with him, and I guess I started rambling because halfway through a sentence Angel started kissing me. And then he said he loves me too. Will, I'm the girl he told me about!"

"I know."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean you know?"

"A couple weeks ago, I heard Angel and Giles talking. I overheard Angel telling him that he's in love with you. I knew how you felt and how he felt, but it wasn't my place to tell you guys."

"And you decided to do a little matchmaking?"

Willow shrugged. "You two would never had admitted it. Xander, Cordy and Oz helped me. I convinced Angel to show up at the Prom, knowing that he'd want to go with you. Then I brought up Xander's party because I was sure you'd invite Angel. I came up with the idea for Truth or Dare, but the dare was all Xander's idea."

"I really should be mad at you for this little stunt," Buffy said to her. "But I can't. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have had the perfect Prom, or wouldn't have kissed Angel again, or have woken up in his arms this morning, or wouldn't have admitted to him how much I love him. Thank you, Will."

The two girls hugged. "What are you and Angel going to do now?" asked Willow.

"We're meant to be together, and nothing's going to stop us. Angel and I don't care what anyone else thinks. In fact, he's coming over tonight to meet Mom."

********

She asked Angel to come over half an hour early so her mother could meet him before patrol. Buffy and Mrs. Summers sat in front of the television, waiting for him to arrive.

"Honey, stop wringing your hands," Mrs. Summers told her.

"Sorry. I guess I'm nervous about you meeting Angel; afraid you won't like him," Buffy said.

"Don't worry so much. From what you've told me, I know I'll like him. If you love each other, just trust that. Forget everyone else."

Buffy sighed. "You're my mother. I need you to believe in us. If you can't, then I don't know what I'll do. I need your approval. I may love him, but you're opinion means a lot to me."

"Why don't we wait until Angel gets here and let me decide."

For the next ten minutes, Buffy tried to watch television, but it made no impact on her. The words went in one ear and out the other. At exactly six-thirty, the doorbell rang, making her jump off the couch. "It's him."

"Go answer the door, Buffy."

Mrs. Summers waited in the living room while her daughter opened the door. She could only see Buffy, and saw the grin on her face upon seeing their guest. A minute later, Buffy entered the room once again, holding hands with a tall, dark-haired man in his mid-twenties.

"Mom, I'd like you to meet Angel. Angel, this my mother, Joyce Summers," Buffy introduced.

Mrs. Summers extended her hand to the young man. 'Buffy wasn't lying when she said he was good-looking.' "It's a pleasure to meet you, Angel."

"Likewise, ma'am," he replied, shaking her hand.

"Please, call me Joyce." She took a seat on the reclining chair while Buffy and Angel sat close to each other on the couch. "Tell me a bit about yourself."

Angel took a deep breath. He tried not to show how nervous he was, but meeting Buffy's mother proved to be nerve-wracking. "I'm twenty-seven years old, I lived in L.A. almost my entire life, graduated from UCLA three years ago with a Master's in History."

"How do you support yourself?"

He looked at Buffy, who mouthed, "Tell her the truth." "I've been tutoring Buffy for almost a month now, so that takes care of my food expenses. But the majority of my income comes from the Watcher's Council."

"The Watcher's Council?" questioned Mrs. Summers. "The ones in charge of the Slayers?"

"One in the same. I've been training to be a Watcher for three years now. I came to Sunnydale to learn the everyday routine of the Slayer -- Buffy," said Angel.

"That's very interesting. So you are going to be a Watcher to a Slayer. After Buffy dies."

Angel saw where Mrs. Summers was going with this. "I'm not going to let anything happen to Buffy. I swear it. I love her, Mrs. Summers...Joyce."

"I trust that you won't let anything happen to my daughter. And by the look in your eyes, I can tell you love Buffy. I'm happy for you both."

"Thank you."

"What about your family? What do they think of your career choice, Angel?" she wanted to know.

When Angel didn't answer right away, Buffy grasped his hand. "I never met my father, he left before I was born. My mother...she died when I was six. Her Watcher raised me."

"Her Watcher? Your mother was a Slayer?"

"Yes. It's -- it's not something I'm comfortable discussing. I'm sorry."

Buffy glanced at the clock on the VCR. "Angel, we should get a move on. The vamps are going to be out soon."

He nodded in agreement. "You're right." They stood up. "It was nice to meet you, Joyce."

"Same here. Please don't be a stranger. You're welcome here anytime."

"Thank you very much."

Angel and Buffy headed for the door. "Buffy?" Mrs. Summers called.

"Yeah, Mom?" she asked.

"He's a nice young man, honey. Hold on to him with both hands. Don't let him go."

"I'm not planning on it."

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