See Prologue for Disclaimer

Part 1

There was a large group of people sitting around a large campfire.  The group was mostly made of men.  The people's age ranged from about 21 to 100 and all had dark hair.  A youth approached the group and said he had news on Angelus.  The leader nodded for him to start.  The youth cleared his throat and began reciting the message, "Gilt remains undiscovered.  Since the last report, Gilt found that Yanna was working on a spell to give Angelus his soul back without making him suffer.  He was going to suggest she be disowned by the clan, but this is now unnecessary, since she died 2 weeks ago.  She was murdered.  By whom is unknown, but Angelus is a probable suspect.  A week ago, informants told Gilt that some huge magical occurrence happened.  Then Angelus activity almost completely stopped.  When he was seen, he acted like he had his soul again.  Gilt was convinced that the curse or a similar spell had been put on him, until he saw a man that looked like Angelus with a girl in the daylight.  Gilt found and questioned a friend of the girl.  The friend told Gilt that the man was Angelus.  A spell was put on Angelus that makes him human during the day and a vampire with a soul at night.  The only way to break the spell is if no one in the world cares for Angelus and Angelus cares for no one.  Gilt says that Angelus has made many friends and it would be almost impossible to break the spell."  As the youth finished his report, there was an uproar from the council.  The arguing went on long into the night.  The council couldn't agree on whether they should find a way to make Angel suffer or kill him.  Finally a plan was agreed on.  Beshok, a huge Angelus hater, would lead a team of 6 young warriors and 2 mages.  Trisn, a man about 24 years old and a childhood friend of Yanna's, would be second-in-command.  The 10 of them would go to Sunnydale and stay with Gilt.  The mages would try to break the spell that lets Angelus be human during the day and Beshok would do whatever he deemed necessary to make Angelus suffer.

***

A few days later

The last bell rang and Buffy sighed happily, as she left class.  The school day was over.  She headed towards the library, after stopping at her locker.  When she arrived, Oz and Willow had beaten her there.  Giles was hunched over a book at the table.  "Hey," Buffy called out, as she walked in. 

"Hey Buffy," Willow said.

"So any prophesies or baddies I should know about?" Buffy asked.

"I don't think so.  Giles said we're going to be researching something, but then something in the book distracted him," Willow said.

"Yeah.  He was listing book titles and stopped right in the middle of one.  We haven't been able to catch his attention since," Oz added.

Buffy looked from one to the other and said in a sarcastic tone, "And I'm sure you've been trying."  Willow blushed and Oz was about to defend Willow's honor, when Buffy's facade broke and she burst into giggles.  "I'm teasing.  Shesh.v Giles? ... Giles!"  There was still no response from the British librarian, so Buffy pulled the book out from under his nose.

"What? Buffy I was reading that," Giles said.

"And I was trying to get your attention.  What's up Giles?" Buffy asked handing the book back to him.

"Nothing at the moment.  I'm doing some research so that we're not caught off guard again, but I'm afraid that there's not much you can help with unless you have a suggestion," Giles said.

"What about my little problem," Oz said, "Is there anyway I can control it?  Do you know if I can wolf out, when it's not the full moon?"

"I don't know.  I don't remember anything of that sort, but it's certainly something to look into."

"I'll see what I can find on the internet," Willow said, turning to the computer.

"I'll get a book and join you," Oz said going over to the card catalog.

"Well since this isn't mandatory, I'm gonna split," Buffy said, heading for the door.

"How did hunting go last night?" Giles asked, stopping Buffy.

"Okay," Buffy said turning back, "I bagged two vamps and Angel bagged 5.  They still think he's on their side and keep walking up to him.  They practically ask him to stake them."  Buffy smiled at the irony.

"How's Angel adjusting to a non-nocturnal lifestyle?" Willow asked.

"Slowly.  He loves being in the sunlight, but he can't get used to getting up when the sunrises and I think he's having trouble going to sleep when it's dark out.  Monday, he was late for his first day at work 'cause he over slept.  Every other morning this week, I've gone over to his apartment before school to make sure he's awake.  This weekend, I'm getting him an alarm clock," Buffy said laughing.  She had never thought she'd ever see Angel cranky, but that's what he was when you tried to wake him up too early.  She'd learned ways to wake him up in a good mood though.  She smiled at thoughts of morning kisses, but her smile disappeared as a shiver went down her spine as she remembered the tail end of a dream she'd had last night.  It was all very strange.  There had been a campfire, and two men arguing over it, but she couldn't understand what they were saying.  Then the fight had ended and the mean one had turned toward her.  The nice one had stepped back and hung his head, as if ashamed.  Then Angel had appeared in the background, being held by two men and calling her name, as he tried to escape.  She had stared at him for a moment, before turning back to the mean man.  He had approached her with a knife raised to kill her as she woke up.  The dream had the same weird feeling as the other dreams that had come true, but she didn't want to worry Giles and decided not to tell him until it started coming true.  She shook off the feeling as she realized someone was talking to her.  "What?"

"Has Angel started any classes yet?" Giles asked.

"Oh yeah.  He got some stuff yesterday so he can take two classes on a home schooling basis.  Thanks for getting him the job at the community college, Giles.  Historical Research assistant may sound boring, but it's better than some jobs.  Besides it means he's in the library all the time and since he usually knows the info they want from memory instead of from researching, he can study in his spare time.  Thanks for all the help you've been giving him, Giles.  It really means a lot to him and to me."

"Well I know it's been a long time since he's been to school.  After a few hundred years it's natural to forget a lot," said a little stiffly.

"That's not what I mean.  Before he lost his soul, he was already brooding and feeling guilty.  It was even worse when we brought him back.  When you spent time with him and didn't blame him for what Angelus did.  It really helped him to forgive himself," Buffy said earnestly.

Giles sighed, "Buffy, I know they're not the same person and Angel shouldn't blame himself for what the demon did.  I just want to make sure we're not caught off guard again."

"I understand.  Well, since I'm not being of much help here anyway, I better go.  I told Angel I'd meet him outside.  He said he was coming over after work so he should be here any minute now.  He loves to sit outside in the sun.  I'm going to have to introduce him to suntan lotion soon," Buffy joked.  She rushed out to the front lawn to wait for Angel and started pacing impatiently.  The memory of the dream was really starting to give her the wiggin's.  Angel arrived a few minutes later to find a very agitated Buffy.  The minute she saw him she ran to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Buffy, what's wrong?" Angel asked, surprised by her reaction.

"I ... I was just worried."  Angel led her over to a bench and sat down next to her.

"Why?  It's daylight."

"I had one of those weird dreams last night and it's giving' me a major case of the wiggin's.  Something up," Buffy told him.

"Buffy dreams are just dreams.  There's nothing to be scared of," Angel said gently.

"No.  These weird dreams have been right before and as a Slayer I should trust my instincts.  Well, I'm getting a major wiggin's here and it says some thing's going to happen," Buffy insisted.  Angel gave her a doubtful look.  "Don't dismiss my wiggin's."

"Did you tell Giles?"

"No.  He's already in over research mode and obsessing about being caught off guard.  I don't want to add to it, so I wasn't going to tell him about it until they started coming true."

"If you don't want to tell Giles, we can't do much more than be careful.  But if Giles isn't worried about your dreams coming true, there's probably nothing to worry about."

Buffy nodded, satisfied that he would at least be careful, but slightly offended that he was doubtful.  She went to put her head on his shoulder, but he raised her chin with his hand and kissed her.  When the kiss ended, she smiled up at him.  She snuggled up to his side, put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.  He closed his eyes and tilted his head back so the light could fall directly on his face.  It was becoming a routine now, sitting in the sun in the afternoons.  Angel couldn't get enough of the sun and Buffy was content to just be with him.  Angel marveled at the warm, lazy, peacefulness of it all as Buffy dozed on his shoulder.  Now that he was learning how hard it was to live a life during the day and another one at night, he had gained even more respect for her.  He gazed down at her lovingly.  She opened one eye and looked up at him.

"What?" she asked.

"You're beautiful in the sunlight," he told her softly.

She smiled up at him and whispered back, "So are you.  You know if we're going to keep having these daily sunbaths, you're going to have to learn about the wonders of suntan lotion."  Angel just looked at her puzzled for a moment.  She laughed, "It protects you from the sun," she explained.

Angel gave her a puzzled look and looked up at the sun and back.  "I know you can get a sunburn, but I've don't remember the sun being able to hurt you any more than that," Angel said.

Buffy laughed.  "It can do more than that, but it gets complicated.  I'll see if Cordy doesn't have a pamphlet or something.  She's so in too make-up and keeping her skin healthy she probably has one.  Besides, if you heal with vampire speed at night, you may undo the damage you do during day.  Humans can't heal that sort of stuff without doctors, but vampires might."

"Something else to ask Giles," Angel said.

"Now you're starting sound like the rest of us," Buffy laughed.  "So where's Harmony?"

"She went back to SU.  Something about paperwork and the old coots being mad about something.  From the comments Michael was making, I have the feeling she broke a few rules.  I hope she doesn't get into too much trouble."

"The way I've heard her talk about the council at SU, she probably argues with them all the time.  Stubbornness obviously runs in the family," Buffy teased.

"Me?  Stubborn?  Well, I guess it's true about opposites attract, since I fell in love with a stubborn rebel."

"Me??  A rebel?" Buffy said in mock surprise.

"Who's the one that keeps breaking the prophecies?  Who's the one that's dating a vampire?  Who's the one who decided she didn't like the one for every generation thing, so she made it two for every generation?" Angel teased

"Me.  And you forgot not using the handbook, having friends, and family.  Those are against the rules too."  Buffy was quiet before continuing somberly, "I wonder if Giles wishes I weren't so unruly?"

"Giles couldn't be more proud of you.  I know from experience that you're the best slayer in the last 200 some years and you only break the rules that need breaking.  Having friends and family is one of the things that makes you such a great slayer.  Giles would never want another slayer and I don't think he'd ever want you to change.  And neither would I.  I like you just the way you are."  Buffy smiled at him and kissed him.

"I love you," Buffy murmured as she closed her eyes again and settled her head on his shoulder.  Angel kissed her hair and went back to his thinking.  They sat silently unaware of the of the 7 men approaching them from behind.

Part 2
Back to Fanfic Index