Part Twenty

With everything going on, Angel couldn't concentrate on anything. He felt claustrophobic inside his apartment and needed to get out for some fresh air. It was balmy, although it was eleven-thirty, but he threw on his duster over his sweater and black pants. It proved to be a good hiding place for his weapons.

He strolled through the streets of Sunnydale, deserted as they were. Very few people were brave enough to walk after ten o'clock. Even he didn't like to do so, but he just couldn't stay in his apartment any longer. Angel needed to get out and think about everything Geoffrey had told him. So many things were jumbled in his head that he needed to sort them all out.

Weighing the pros and cons of a relationship with Buffy was not something he wanted to do. There was no doubt in his mind that he loved her with every fiber of his being. He'd do anything to make her happy. But could he expect a long-term relationship out of it? He didn't know. Being with Buffy, if only for a short time, was better than not being with her at all, Angel decided. No matter what these so-called consequences were, he would stand by his love. He would never leave her.

Angel sat down on the bench in Wetherly Park, remembering how wonderful it felt to hold Buffy in his arms and kiss her sweet lips. He could still smell her favorite scent on him: vanilla. He smiled at the memory of them tangled on the library floor. No inhibitions, just the two of them and the passion they felt for each other. Yes, he thought. I'm doing the right thing.

Lost in his memories, Angel never heard the vampire approaching him from behind. He took a seat on the bench next to Angel, preparing for the kill.

"You look deep in thought," the vampire commented.

"Yeah."

He smirked to himself. 'This ought to be easy.' "Girl troubles?"

"Not really. Well, yeah, sort of," Angel told him.

"Let me guess. She dumped you."

Angel shook his head. "No. Everything's fine between me and Buffy. People around us think we're making a mistake."

'Buffy. Only one person around here is called Buffy. The Slayer.' The vampire came up with a plan. "What do you think? Are they right?"

"No, they aren't. I love her. She loves me. Everyone's wrong."

"You want to be with her forever?" asked the vampire.

"Yes, I do."

"I can easily arrange that."

The vampire leaned over, piercing his fangs into Angel's neck. Shocked at first, Angel didn't know what to do. All conscious thought left his body as the vampire continued to drink. Fight or flight instinct kicked in moments later, and Angel tried to push his attacker off. It didn't work, and more of his blood was being drained with every passing second. Remembering the stake in his pocket, he reached for it.

Out of the corner of his eye, the vampire saw Angel pull the weapon from his pocket. He blocked his victim's attempt at staking him, knocking the sharp wooden object from Angel's grip. Angel could hear his heartbeat slow down, knowing that this might very well be his last moments on earth.

I love you, Buffy, he said to himself, wanting his last memory to be of his true love.

The vampire retracted his fangs from Angel's neck, watching for a moment while the dying human took several shallow breaths. Smiling, he bit his wrist, drawing blood. He thrust his wrist to Angel's parted lips, forcing the man to swallow the red liquid that poured into his mouth.

"Say nighty night, boy. Soon, we'll have the Slayer," the vampire vowed, carrying Angel's body into the woods.

********

Buffy had been searching for Angel for days. She had no idea where he went. Perhaps some kind of emergency had come up; the last time she'd seen him was Monday night at his apartment. Geoffrey Kensington had shown up, so Buffy assumed something had happened. That was Monday -- three days ago. By the time Thursday rolled around, she still hadn't heard from Angel. She was worried about him; his safety.

Giles didn't even know of Angel's whereabouts. He was surprised to hear that Angel disappeared without a trace. It certainly wasn't like him to be so irresponsible by not calling. Giles hoped the young man took his advice and ended his relationship with Buffy. But he never expected Angel to just leave town without telling anyone.

Patrolling had been uneventful for Buffy Thursday night. By nine she had only come across one vampire, and she considered calling it a night. One quick sweep through the cemetery then she would go home and wait by the phone in case Angel called.

Rustling in the bushes to her left caused Buffy to stand perfectly still in her fighting stance. Waiting a minute and hearing nothing more, she assumed it had been a bird or a rabbit. Sighing, she continued walking. But a minute later she heard the rustling again. This time it was coming from behind her. Buffy whipped around, raising her stake in her right hand. She stopped short when she saw who stood there.

"Angel!" she said, throwing herself into his arms. Buffy held onto him around his waist.

"Hey. Did I frighten you?" he asked.

Buffy looked in his eyes. Something was different, but she couldn't quite place it. "I've been so worried about you."

He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Something unexpected came up. It couldn't be avoided. I'm back, Buffy. For good."

Buffy relished in the comfort of his embrace. "You have no idea what was going through my mind. I thought something happened to you. I was afraid I'd never see you again."

"I'm right here. Nothing happened."

"I missed you, Angel. Do you think we can go somewhere private? It's dead out here tonight and I wanna be alone with you," Buffy said to him.

Angel smiled slyly. "I think it can be arranged. We can go back to my place."

They walked the half-mile to his apartment in silence. She held onto his arm with both hands, hugging it to her body. Buffy was so happy to see him, hold him and just be with him. She didn't let go of his arm until they stepped inside his apartment.

"It's been so long since I kissed you or touched you. It feels like a lifetime," Buffy admitted.

"I know exactly what you mean. Do you think we should continue where we left off when Geoffrey interrupted?" Angel asked.

Buffy nodded. "Oh yeah. Definitely." She took his hand and they both sat on the couch.

They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, neither one of them wanting to make the first move. His demon raging with want of her lips on his, Angel practically jumped on top of her. Buffy didn't resist him, instead, she invited it. She let him kiss her face to the point where he was attacking her with his mouth. Chalking it up to being away from each other for three days, Buffy welcomed his animalistic kisses.

Her hands were beginning to lift his shirt over his chest when Angel stopped her. "Not yet. Let's just do this first."

"Okay," she agreed.

His mouth moved from her face to her ears, then to her neck. Angel could feel her pulse, strong and rhythmic. His thirst for her became overwhelming. He needed blood, and Slayer blood, he knew, was the sweetest. First licking her jugular vein, eliciting a moan from her, Angel fell into game face and bit into her.

The prick of his fangs caused Buffy to cry out. "What's going on? Why did you do that, Angel?" He looked up at her, letting her see his yellow vampire eyes. She screamed.

"What's the matter? You don't like my little surprise?" he asked with a chuckle.

"You...you're a vampire."

"Wow. You catch on quickly."

Buffy panted. She knew she was in deep trouble. "What do you want?"

He shrugged. "You, my love."

"Me?"

"We can be together forever. You and me, Buffy, we'll rule with our superior strength. And no one will be able to tell us that we don't belong together. Just say yes, Buffy. Just say yes."

Buffy shook her head adamantly. "No. I don't want to be a vampire."

"But it's so much fun. Not that I've had much time to find a down side to it yet. When I saw you a little while ago, I knew right then and there that I wanted to turn you; make you mine for all eternity. Come on, imagine the possibilities," Angel coaxed.

"No," she repeated.

Angel growled. "'No' isn't an option."

He bit her again, harder this time, her blood flowing into his mouth. Taking only enough to sate his thirst, he cut himself and forced his blood down Buffy's throat. Angel laughed viciously at his conquest. On his first time out, he'd managed to kill the Slayer and bring his love across.

********

Angel bolted upright in bed, his body dripping with sweat. He breathed heavily, remembering every detail of his dream. Only a dream, he told himself. It was a bad dream. A nightmare. Closing his eyes again, he tried to dispel the images of what he'd done to Buffy. Turning her against her will, even the mere thought of it, much less the memory of it in his dream, made Angel sick to his stomach.

I won't let anything happen to her. I will keep Buffy safe, he vowed before falling asleep again.

Part Twenty-One

He didn't get more than three hours of sleep that night, and Angel woke up angry. Angry at himself for letting his dream upset him so much, angry at Geoffrey for trying to convince him that he was making a mistake with Buffy, and angry at Giles for calling Geoffrey. Why couldn't the two Watchers mind their own business?

Angel took a shower, using the time under the excruciatingly hot water to think about his dream. What did it mean? That he wouldn't be able to protect Buffy from the evil that lurks throughout Sunnydale after dark? Or that his love for her made him easy prey for her enemies? That he might do what happened in the dream: become a vampire and kill her? Angel pounded his fist against the shower tile. "No!" he shouted. "It won't happen."

He got out of the shower, dried off and dressed himself in a black button-down shirt and jeans. Combing his hair in his trademark spikes and then grabbing his bag with books for his History lesson, Angel took off for Sunnydale High.

Breaking several traffic laws on his five minute drive across town, Angel was determined to make it in time to have a few choice words with Giles. He and Buffy had a tutoring session at ten-thirty, so Angel wanted to be at the school by quarter after, giving himself fifteen minutes to confront the older Watcher.

Angel stormed through the empty hallway when he entered the building. Classes were in session, so only a few stragglers remained in the halls. He burst into the library and into Giles' office.

"How dare you?" accused Angel in a heated tone.

Giles put down his pen and glanced up at the angry young man standing before him. "Pardon me?"

"What gives you the right to call Geoffrey Kensington and invade my personal life?"

"When it involves the Slayer, I feel I have every right. Now take a deep breath, Angel, and calm down," said Giles.

"I will not calm down. I want an answer. A straight answer, not the run around like I've been getting. Tell me why I shouldn't be with Buffy," Angel demanded harshly.

"Because you'll lose your job and I don't want to see that happen. I've known you since you were a child and I know how much you want -- have always wanted -- to be a Watcher. I would hate to see you lose that opportunity.

"And I care about both you and Buffy. You two are like the children I never had. If both of you were simply normal, average people, I would be thrilled and would give you my blessing. However, you're not. It's a dangerous situation for you to be in. There are things that you don't know; that you couldn't possibly understand. I don't want to see either of you get hurt."

"What is it that I wouldn't be able to understand? What thing?" Angel wanted to know, his voice nearing a shout.

"I cannot say. It isn't my place. But I will tell you that it is more horrible than you can imagine."

Angel sighed. When Giles started getting cryptic, he knew something was really wrong. "Fine, don't tell me. I would think you trust me enough to tell me, but obviously I'm wrong. Do me a favor, Giles. Stay out of my love life!"

"I'm doing this for your own good, Angel. I don't want to see you throw away everything you've worked for. The Watcher's Council does not take it lightly when a Watcher takes a personal interest in the Slayer."

"Then how do you get away with it? How did Geoffrey get away with it?" Angel asked.

Giles knit his eyebrows together in confusion. "I beg your pardon?"

"Geoffrey was in love with my mother. I've known it for years by the way he spoke of her. Did the Council ever find out about it?"

"I honestly don't know. Not to my knowledge did the Council find out."

"Then how could they find out about me being in love with Buffy?"

"Because the Council is watching you closely. Very closely."

Angel lost his temper. "How is this even fair to me? It's taken me twenty-seven years to find the woman of my dreams and I can't be with her? It's not right!"

"I'm sorry, Angel. I only wish that you could be with her, but unfortunately, you can't be with Buffy."

He shook his head. "I will be with her. You can send Geoffrey to try and talk me out of it, you can tell the Council and make me lose my job. Go right ahead, I don't care. Nothing is going to stop me from loving Buffy!"

********

Angel was already sitting at the table when Buffy came into the library. He heard her shoes clicking on the floor as she made her way over. One look at her and he smiled in spite of himself.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Hi," she said cautiously.

"Look, I want to apologize for last night's interruption," Angel began. "Giles decided to call Geoffrey to talk some sense into me. He gave me this lecture about how dangerous it is for both of us, etc."

Buffy cast her eyes to the ground. What she had to say wasn't going to be easy. "Angel, I spent last night thinking. Maybe it was a good thing Geoffrey interrupted us."

"What do you mean?"

She bit her lip. "Last night really made me think. If Geoffrey hadn't shown up when he did, what would have happened, Angel?"

"I don't know."

"I do. We might have lost control. Would we have done something we'd both regret? It's all so new to me. Feeling this way, being with you...I just don't think I can do it all."

Angel stared at her, his heart breaking into a million pieces. "I see. You don't want to do this anymore. Us."

Buffy sat down in the chair next to him. "No, not at all. I still love you, I still want to be with you. But things are moving too fast for me. If this is going to work, we have to go slower."

"Slower. Okay," Angel agreed.

"I'm sorry."

"Buffy, it's fine. Slower is a good thing. I have no problem with that if it's what you want."

She looked at him closely. "Something else is bothering you, isn't it? I can tell."

"I had a rough night last night."

"Was it because of what Geoffrey said? Don't listen to him. You and I belong together, Angel. Even if we are moving slowly, I'm not leaving. I'm here for good."

Her words nearly echoed his words in the dream. It made him shudder. "I know that. It was this dream I had last night. More like a nightmare, really."

"How bad was it? Did it scare you?"

"Yeah. More than any other dream I've ever had. Even as a child, with all the demons I've seen and heard about, nothing scared me like that."

Buffy grasped a hold of his hand. "Tell me about it. What scared you so much?"

"I can't. It's too horrible. So real, it seemed so real."

"Angel, you can tell me anything."

He shut his eyes tightly, then opened them again. "I couldn't think in my apartment, so I went for a walk. When I sat down on a bench, this guy sat next to me. He and I started talking and before I knew it, he was biting me. The man was a vampire and I never knew it. He -- he bit me and made me feed off of him and he turned me into a vampire."

"Oh my god," commented Buffy. "But it was only a dream."

"No, there's more to it than that. After I was turned, you found me. It was a couple days later and you'd been worried about me. We were in the cemetery when you found me. We went back to my place and we kind of continued where we left off last night. And I bit you. I bit you...and drained you...and turned you. Then I woke up."

"It wasn't real. You have to remember that."

He nodded his head. "Yeah, I know. It seemed so real, Buffy. I couldn't protect you and I became the thing you hate the most. And I turned you. I hurt you so much and I never want to do that. That's what I'm afraid of. Hurting you."

"You won't. You couldn't."

"Love hurts, Buffy."

"Not our love. We'll never hurt each other." She kissed his trembling hand, still being held by her. "What happened in your dream will never happen in reality. Trust me on this. And whenever you start thinking that it might come true, keep saying to yourself that I love you and it was only a bad dream."

He smiled, having been reassured by her words. "Maybe we should get to work on studying. Your History final is in two weeks."

"Studying. Got it. Let's get to work." Yeah. Slower is definitely better, she thought.

Part Twenty-Two

Thanks to all of her tutoring sessions with Angel, Buffy's History exam was a snap. She passed with flying colors, getting a ninety on it and eased her average up to an eighty. She ran into the library after school to tell him the good news.

"I did it!" Buffy exclaimed, throwing herself into his arms, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips.

Angel held her close to him, not wanting to let her go. "Did what, Buffy?"

"Aced my History final."

He grinned. "Congratulations. I knew you could do it."

"I couldn't have done it without you. If you hadn't made me study all this weekend, and for the past two months almost, I would have failed for sure. Thank you." She gave him another kiss.

"I'd love to take credit for it, but you're the one who took the exam," reminded Angel.

"You're too modest. Most of this is your doing, so shut up and take some credit for it."

Giles exited his office, seeing Buffy and Angel in an embrace near the book counter. He sighed, thinking that perhaps they'd reverted back to the lust-driven teenagers they were only two weeks earlier. It didn't go unnoticed by the Watcher that things between Buffy and Angel cooled down considerably. No longer were they making public displays of affection on the library floor. He began to feel comfortable letting them train together. But seeing them holding each other so intimately, Giles became worried once again.

He cleared his throat. "Am I interrupting you?"

Buffy pulled herself out of Angel's embrace. "Giles, I just got my grade for my History exam."

"You did well, I presume." 'At least I'll know she did some studying with Angel.'

"I got a ninety! All that tutoring paid off big time."

"That's wonderful news, Buffy. So you won't have to worry about not graduating, correct? I remember you telling me that you feared disappointing your parents by failing to graduate on time."

A huge grin plastered itself on Buffy's face. "I'm graduating. No summer school for Slay Gal. Next week, I'll be walking across the auditorium stage with my diploma in hand. You'll be there, won't you, Giles?" she wanted to know.

"Of course. All Sunnydale High staff is required to be there," her Watcher informed her.

"Cool. And as for you," she said, directing her attention to Angel, "you so have to be there. I only graduate once and I want you there to see me. Not to mention, you'll get to meet my father."

Angel groaned inwardly. Buffy had told him some stories about her father that made him a bit leery of the man. Most of all, Angel feared Mr. Summers' reaction to the nine year age difference between him and Buffy. He'll think I'm taking advantage of her. I just know it. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, Buffy."

Buffy was delighted. Everybody important in her life would be there on her graduation day. "And don't forget the party afterward at my house. I'm going to visit Mom at the gallery to give her the good news. Bye!" In a flash, Buffy left the room.

Giles turned to Angel. "I guess I should congratulate you as well, Angel. You did a good job with Buffy. She's really turned around since you began helping her. In a good way."

Angel was touched by the compliment. "Thank you, Giles. It means a lot coming from you. But I wish you could accept us as a couple."

"I have learned to accept it. While I still believe it is a dangerous state of affairs, I realize nothing I can say or do will change your minds."

"Thank you for understanding." Angel walked toward the door.

"Where are you going?" asked a curious Giles.

"To see about Buffy's graduation presents."

********

"Is this what you were looking for, sir?" the sales clerk asked, holding the box open in front of Angel.

"Yes, it is." Angel explained to the man what he wanted done. "Can you guarantee it by this coming Monday?"

He nodded. "Most definitely. As per your instructions, I can imagine that it will be exquisite."

"I hope so."

"A present for your wife?"

Angel shook his head. "My girlfriend, actually. It's a graduation gift. I want it to be a surprise."

The man smiled broadly. He saw the look of love in Angel's eyes. "This will be a most pleasant surprise for your young lady. Any woman would be very lucky to receive such a present. It is quite a show of love."

"I love her very much, so it works out perfectly."

"I shall call you when it is ready, Mr. Reilly."

He watched as Angel walked out of the store. Whoever she is, she's quite lucky, to be loved that much. Ah, young love, the man thought.

********

Graduation day was upon them before anyone knew it. Buffy woke up to a cloudless sky that Tuesday morning, eagerly anticipating the day's events. She would finally graduate from high school.

Willow came over at two, and Cordelia arrived at two-thirty so they all could get dressed and do each other's hair and make-up. Buffy wore a white sundress, white heels and left her hair straight, flowing past her shoulders. Willow wore a green dress, leaving her hair down as well. Cordelia chose a short black dress and curled her long brown hair into soft ringlets. Wearing their caps and gowns, the three girls stood in front of Buffy's mirror.

"I'm so excited. We're graduating," Willow said.

"Me too," agreed Buffy. "I am glad to have made it this far. I never thought I'd live to graduate from high school."

Cordelia put her arm around Buffy's shoulder. "Well, you are. Just think, this is the beginning of the rest of our lives. From here on in, we're adults. Living in the real world."

"Going to college," added Willow.

"Finding jobs," chimed in Buffy.

"Getting married to rich, handsome men," Cordelia said with a grin. "Well, unless you're Buffy."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded jokingly.

"Only that you've got the market cornered with your handsome hunk of man boyfriend. And if his apartment is as nice as you say it is, Angel's probably got money, too." She laughed. "You're luckier than most of us."

"I feel really lucky." Buffy glanced at the clock on her nightstand. "God, it's four already. My Dad is going to be here any minute."

"We should get going," Willow said. "Right, Cordy?"

The brunette nodded. "Right. I have to stop at Xander's house for pictures. See you at school, Buffy."

The two girls left. Less than five minutes later, Hank Summers pulled up. Buffy waited on the front porch to greet him. She hadn't seen her father in almost six months.

"Hey, Princess!" he said, giving Buffy a kiss and a hug.

"Hi, Dad. I'm so happy you could come. I know how busy you are with work."

He smiled at his daughter. "Miss my little girl's high school graduation? Not on your life! It's a big occasion."

"Come on inside. Mom wants to see you."

Buffy led him inside the house. "How have you been? It feels like forever since I saw you. Did you have a good time at Prom with Kevin? I remember you telling me how much you were looking forward to it," Mr. Summers asked.

"I didn't go to the Prom with Kevin. We broke up over a month ago, Dad," she informed him.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I liked Kevin. May I ask what happened?"

Buffy shrugged. She couldn't tell her father all the details of her break-up with Kevin. It had been hard enough telling her mother. "We wanted different things. He and I weren't meant to be together."

"Oh."

"But I have a new boyfriend. You can meet him after graduation."

"Really? How long have you been seeing him?" Mr. Summers wanted to know.

"Close to a month now. We went to Prom together as friends and we started dating afterwards."

He smiled. "I can't wait to meet him."

Buffy knew that tone of voice. Angel was in for the third degree from her father. Uh-oh. Better warn Angel.

Part Twenty-Four

"I didn't like the way he said it," Buffy told Willow, Cordelia and Xander before the graduation ceremony. "He went into over-protective dad mode. Now I'm worried about what he's going to say."

"It'll be fine, Buffy," reassured Willow. "I felt the same way when my parents met Oz. I thought my Dad was going to demand a written biography of Oz's life. Turns out I was only overreacting, because they were totally cool."

Buffy shook her head. "There's a big difference between our boyfriends, Willow. Oz is nineteen, Angel's twenty-seven. I know my dad is going to bring up the age difference."

"So?" Cordelia asked. "What's the big deal? It's only a couple years. It's not like it's a problem for you guys."

"Angel and I don't care how much of an age difference there is, but Dad will. Nine years. He was born in 'seventy-two, me in 'eighty-one. My father's going to flip."

Xander snickered. "It never occurred to me until now, but Angel's really robbing the cradle with you."

Buffy silenced her friend with a glare. "Shut up, Xander."

"Buffy, maybe your Dad will surprise you and not bring it up," Willow said.

"Maybe. But I won't hold my breath. One look at Angel and Dad's going to know he's way older than me."

"Think of it this way," Xander started. "At least he's not as old as Principal Snyder."

The three girls groaned. "Like, eww. That was a mental image I so didn't need," commented Cordelia.

********

The auditorium of Sunnydale High was already packed with relatives of the graduates by the time Angel arrived. All the front rows were filled, not an empty seat to be seen except in the back half of the room. He looked around for Mrs. Summers, needing to ask her a question and having promised to sit with her during the ceremony, but found her sitting with an older man he assumed to be Hank Summers. There was not an empty seat around them, so Angel sat himself in the closest aisle seat he could find.

Graduation began precisely at six o'clock. The chords of "Pomp and Circumstance" filled the auditorium as the one hundred graduates walked down the aisle. Angel grinned as Buffy walked by him, mouthing an "I love you" to her boyfriend. When they were all seated, Principal Snyder took the podium.

"Congratulations to the Class of 1999. You've all proved more or less adequate. This is a time for celebration, so sit still and be quiet," he addressed them.

Angel raised his eyebrows in wonder. Giles had told him that the man was very straight-forward, but Angel never expected this. 'Now I can see why Buffy calls him a troll.'

He listened with interest as Mayor Richard Wilkins III gave his keynote speech and as the valedictorian gave her take on the past four years and on the future that lay ahead. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the graduates lined up to receive their diplomas. Student after student walked across the stage, holding up their diplomas as a sign of victory. Angel laughed out loud when Xander danced his way across the stage.

"Buffy Anne Summers," Principal Snyder called with a hint of disdain in his voice.

Buffy shook his hand, using her strength to make the short man wince in pain. She took the diploma out of his other hand and glided across the stage, searching the audience for Angel. Upon finding him, she winked and pointed to her diploma with a delighted grin. 'I made it,' she thought. 'I survived high school.'

********

Mr. and Mrs. Summers made their way through the crowd of people outside the school after the ceremony ended. They were in search of Buffy, and Mrs. Summers wanted to see Angel. He had called earlier that morning, informing her that he needed to ask her a question.

Mr. Summers tapped his ex-wife on the shoulder. "Why don't you go on ahead and find Buffy. I'll be there in a minute. I see someone I want to say hello to."

She nodded, having caught sight of Angel talking to Giles. "Fine. I'll tell Buffy you'll be right over."

He headed to his left, reaching his intended. "Hello, Kevin."

Kevin Matthews looked at the father of his ex-girlfriend. "Mr. Summers. It's nice to see you again."

"Same here. How have you been doing?" Mr. Summers wanted to know.

"Very well, thank you. And yourself?"

"Good. I was sorry to hear that you and Buffy broke up."

Kevin shrugged. "She didn't want the same thing I did. Buffy wasn't mature enough to handle the kind of relationship I wanted."

"Really? That's interesting," he commented, hoping Kevin would divulge more information. Buffy hadn't given him the specifics on the breakup.

"You're a man, Mr. Summers. How would you feel if you dated a girl for over a year and she refused to have sex with you? You'd break up with her too."

Mr. Summers balled his fists at his sides. "So what you're saying is that you broke up with my daughter because she wouldn't have sex with you?" Kevin nodded, not realizing his mistake. "Good for Buffy."

"Huh?"

Mr. Summers glared at the boy. "You bastard. Kevin, I used to think you loved my daughter, but I'm guessing you were only using her. I'm glad Buffy had the common sense to say no to you. And you should consider yourself lucky I'm not pounding you into the ground for using my little girl like that."

"Mr. Summers, it wasn't as bad as you're making it sound," he tried to explain.

"If I catch you within five feet of Buffy, or hear that you caused her even an ounce of pain, I will put you in the hospital." Without another word, Mr. Summers walked away.

********

"Do you think she'll like it?" Angel asked.

Mrs. Summers smiled. "Buffy is going to love it. I know she will."

"You don't think it's too much too soon? Because Buffy wants to take things slow. I don't want to scare her with this present."

"Not at all. She'll be thrilled, if I know my daughter. And I want you to know that I trust you, Angel."

"That means a lot."

"I can see how much you love Buffy, and I can tell that you respect her enough not to push."

"I'd wait forever for her." Angel glanced at the love of his life, standing fifteen feet away talking to Willow and Cordelia. "She's everything to me, and I'm not going to ruin it by forcing her into something she's not ready for."

"Well, I better go congratulate Buffy. Will you be coming to the party?" Mrs. Summers wanted to know.

Angel nodded. "I just have to stop at home and pick up Buffy's presents."

********

He was the first one to arrive at the Summers' house, showing up at quarter to eight. The presents he bought for Buffy sat in the inside pocket of his jacket, waiting for the perfect moment to be given. Angel rang the back doorbell.

Buffy ran to the door, seeing him through the window. When she opened the door, she wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his head down so she could kiss him softly. "Hi, you. You're the first to get here."

"Lucky me. Congratulations."

She smiled at him, flashing her white teeth. "You already said that today, silly."

"I wanted to say it again."

Shaking her head, Buffy laughed. "You're crazy. Come on in, Mom and Dad are in the dining room."

A lump immediately formed in Angel's throat at the prospect of meeting Buffy's father. He followed her into the dining room. He saw Mrs. Summers sitting at one end of the table and a large, dark blonde haired man sitting at the opposite end. His heart rate rapidly increased.

"Dad, I'd like you to meet Angel Reilly. Angel, this is my dad, Hank Summers," introduced Buffy. She silently prayed that her father behaved like a civilized human being.

He extended his hand to the young man standing next to his daughter. "It's nice to meet you, Angel. Buffy has told me a lot about you."

Angel shook the hand offered by Hank Summers, noticing that the man clutched it tightly. "Nice to meet you, too, sir." He smiled at Mrs. Summers. "Hello, Joyce."

"Nice to see you, Angel. Please, have a seat," she offered.

He did, Buffy taking the seat across from him.

"Where are you from, Angel?" Mr. Summers asked.

"I was born in San Francisco, but moved to Los Angeles when I was six."

Mr. Summers nodded. "Are you still in school or do you have a job?"

"I'm a tutor right now, which is how I met Buffy. But I graduated from UCLA three years ago with a Master's in History."

"Really?" He looked searchingly at Angel. "Exactly how old are you, Angel?"

The dreaded question. Don't show your fear, Angel told himself. "I'm twenty-seven."

"That makes you nine years older than Buffy. Don't you feel that that's a big age difference?"

Angel shook his head. "No, honestly, I don't. Age isn't important to me. What matters to me is who Buffy is, not how old she is."

"Still, it concerns me. That's almost a decade."

Buffy groaned. "Dad..." she warned.

"Mr. Summers, I want to let you know that I'm not setting Buffy up for a fall. I want to be with her for as long as she'll have me. Not matter what happens, I'll be by her side. I love her."

Mr. Summers softened. He could feel that Angel's words were genuine, and could see how happy Buffy was with him. "You make Buffy happy; she's told me that. After what Kevin Matthews pulled, you had better keep her that way."

"That's exactly what I plan to do."

Mrs. Summers stood up. "Now that that's finished, why don't we go sit outside and wait for the guests."

"Fine with me," agreed Mr. Summers.

Angel shot Mrs. Summers a conspiratory glance. "Buffy, why don't you and Angel go up to your room until the guests arrive. I'm sure you two want to be alone for a little while."

"Alright."

They went upstairs to Buffy's bedroom, sitting next to each other on the bed. "Are you and my mom up to something?"

"Sort of. I wanted to be alone with you when I gave you your graduation present," Angel told her. "I got you two, actually. One for now and one for later."

"You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to." Angel pulled out a flat, black velvet box from his pocket, handing it to her. "Open it."

Buffy took it in her hands. She slowly opened the box, gasping when she saw the contents. Sitting in the box was an emerald necklace adorned with diamonds. The emerald had been carved into the shape of a heart, crowned by a diamond larger than the others. She touched it, fearing it might disappear if she didn't.

"Angel," she whispered. "This is so beautiful. It looks expensive. You shouldn't have."

"I wanted to get you something special. When I found out that you'd be graduating on time, I went to the jeweler's to have it specially made for you. The necklace has twenty-seven diamonds on it; one for each year I waited for you. And the emerald is the May birthstone, standing for the month I finally found you," Angel explained.

She let the tears fall out of her eyes. "Nobody's ever given me something so beautiful. I love it; I'll cherish it forever."

Angel removed it from the box, reaching over to place it around Buffy's neck. When he clasped it, making certain it was secure, he kissed the nape of her neck.

"Buffy! Some of your friends are here!" Mrs. Summers called.

"Guess that's our cue," he said.

Before leaving the room, Buffy stopped to look in the mirror. She couldn't believe Angel had given her such a perfect, thoughtful, loving gift. "When do I get my other present?"

"Not until later, love."