Exactly one hour, forty-three minutes, and 27 seconds later, Angel flew in through the door.

Not that Buffy had been counting down the time or anything.

'And the only reason that my heart is doing as flip-flop right now is because I'm having Riley-missage... and wow, I think Angel's been working out. No. Wait! Bad thoughts. Not going there. Bad. Bad. Bad.' Buffy groaned inwardly and plastered on the biggest fake smile that she could muster.

"Hi!" she cried cheerfully. "Look who showed up!"

Angel looked at her bewildered. "We need to talk."

Buffy felt her heart sinking a little. He could at least *pretend* he was happy to see her... instead of all this stoicism crap. "Okay..." she said a little uncertainly.

Anya came forward. "Hi!" she cried cheerfully. "Do you want to buy anything?"

The scoobs all sighed in annoyance.

Angel looked confused.

Anya kept smiling happily waiting for a reply.

"Oh!" she declared finally. "You're Angel! I remember you! You're the one that turned evil that one time and killed all those people. Not that I was there... I just heard about it. With a lot more swearing involved... I don't think Xander likes you much."

Angel smiled. Painfully. "Yes... that would be me."

Buffy bit her lip nervously. "You know what? I think that Angel and I are just going to go outside and have a little... chat. Catch up."

Without waiting for an answer Buffy turned and started for the Magic Box exit.

And the phone rang.

She sighed and slapped her forehead. "What *now*???" she hissed angrily under her breath as Anya proceeded to get the telephone.

"Hello! You've reached the Magic Box. You're one stop trip to all things bright and... oh... yeah, hold on." Anya held out the phone, bewildered. "It's for you," she told Angel.

Angel gave Buffy a helpless look, but she only shrugged in reply. Gingerly he picked up the phone, as if he was afraid that it might attack him. "Hello?" he said a little uncertainly.

"Hello is right!!!" the voice on the other end of the line screeched. "I get a vision and you just take off to the middle of nowhere??? Do you have *any* idea how painful these things are???"

"Cordy..." Angel fumbled nervously, "I'm not in the middle of nowhere."

"Oh, that's right. You're in Sunnydale. Well, that's just dandy. First I have a bone-crunching vision about you. *Then* you cut the line. Next thing I know you end up in Sunnydale. ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND???"

Angel winced and shrugged when Buffy sent him a questioning look. He licked his lips nervously. He was here. In Sunnydale. With Buffy. And Riley was gone... to Iowa. Closing his eyes he reminded himself that Riley was the good, strong, normal boy that he wanted for Buffy.

And Cordelia was still yelling at him over the phone.

"Cordy, how did you know I was in Sunnydale?" Angel asked patiently.

There was a pause on the other end of the line and Angel gave a little inward smirk. "Oh... you know... the vision."

"Right. And what was in this vision?"

Cordelia took a deep breath and when she started talking Angel almost thought that she sounded a little embarrassed. "Oh... you know... the usual. Two cartoon characters. Came here. You went to Sunnydale. Time got all screwed up and the world ended."


"Huh," Angel grunted.

"HUH???" Cordelia cried. "Did you *not* hear the END OF THE WORLD PART OF THAT STATEMENT?"

"We've dealt with it before... I'm sure we'll have to deal with it again," Angel replied soothingly.

Cordelia sighed. "Angel... I don't want to tell you this but..." she paused and her voice softened. "I think that this end of the world stuff is because of something that will happen between you and Buffy."

Angel didn't tell her, but he had suspected as much. First a morah demon. And now Buffy's apparent memory loss of a certain day almost a year ago. Angel was afraid of what memories might replace the ones that she was losing.

Sighing, Angel said good-bye, and replaced the phone back in its cradle. Deep in thought he turned back to Buffy in her friends. "We've got trouble."

Buffy tried to force a smile. "We'll deal."

Xander held up his hand. "Question?" without waiting for an answer he went on, "just out of curiosity, where did Sailor Moon and Toxedo Mask go anyway? I mean... it sort of sounded like they had something to do with this."

"They do," Angel said gravelly, his eyes on Buffy. "They're trying to do something that is beyond their power and they might get as all killed."

Buffy gulped. Hard. "What..." she closed her eyes, and bit her lip, "what are they trying to do that is screwing things up so badly?"

Angel hesitated. Finally, walking over to her, he placed a comforting hand on her arm. "They're trying to tempt fate, Buffy. That's one of the most dangerous things that you can do."

 

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