Rating: NC-17.

Pairings: B/A of course, as well as W/O and X/A

Feedback: Only if you want more.

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: Don’t own them, but I like these people better. Joss and crew own the originals.

Summary: Completely AU. No demons, no hellmouth, no evil. Just two people whose lives connect early on, and they keep meeting till they get it right.

Author’s Note: Not beta read, I am too anxious anymore. And my first attempt at AU. Let me know how you like it, if you want it to continue. Actually, I am liking it, so I’ll finish it anyway.

Little Buffy Summers was filthy. That was the only way to describe it. She had mud from one end of her to the other. Why in the world he had told his mother he would watch her and her friends was beyond him. She was a little ragamuffin. Every time he watched her, she managed to break some piece of furniture, or trash some dress that her Mom insisted on putting her in. But she really was cute.

Angel Donahoe was your typical sixteen-year-old high school student. He was on the football team, got good grades, had a part time job bagging groceries at the local store, and helped his mother around the house. Since his dad had left two years ago, he had focused even more on making sure she got time to just go out. But unfortunately her best friend was Joyce Summers. They did everything together. Joyce was also a single mother. And her daughter was the infamous Buffy. What was even worse was that Buffy had not one but two best friends. Whenever he had to watch her, he always managed to have to watch at least one of her friends. But it usually meant the whole gang, all three of them. And together they were terrors.

Today was one of those days. His and Buffy's mom had gone to a viewing at the art gallery she owned and out to dinner. So he had been stuck babysitting since 5:00. And not only had he had Buffy, but her friends Xander and Willow as well. Nothing like a trio of nine year olds to ruin your day. Or night. Or, hell, life. He was supposed to have had a date with Darla tonight but had cancelled it instead. He wasn't going to disappoint his mother just because Buffy's babysitter had bailed at the last minute. Darla wasn't happy with him, but she would just have to get over it. He didn't want to be here either.

"Angel, whatcha’ thinking about?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, nothing, Buffy. How did you get so dirty? There weren't any mud puddles in the back yard."

"Duh, Angel, we have a hose. And we made some really great mud castles. Want to see?'"

She had the cutest smile and he couldn't resist. "Sure, Buffy. But then we have to get you three cleaned up. Your mother is going to kill me. Another dress ruined. Why can't she just put you in shorts and a t-shirt like most kids?"

"But, Angel, I like wearing dresses. Don't you think I look pretty?"

Buffy was looking up at him with her beautiful hazel eyes. She was going to be a knock out one day was all he could think. "Yes, Buffy, you always look pretty. Even with mud between your eyes. Now let's get your cohorts in crime and get your baths started."

"OK, Angel. Willow and Xander are really dirty too. So we all need to take a bath. Do you need to take a bath?"

Angel giggled at that. "No, Buffy, I haven't been playing in the mud. So only your Scooby gang needs to bathe. And while you're getting clean, I'll order a pizza. How's that sound?"

The Scooby gang was the name they had given themselves a year ago after deciding, in a very heated debate for a trio of eight year olds, that the Scooby cartoon was the best ever. Buffy had become the leader. She just came by it naturally. Giving orders was what Buffy did best.

Three hours later, Angel, Buffy, Willow and Xander were all spread out in the living room. Xander was on the floor, so close to the TV that Angel was beginning to worry about the boy's eyes. Willow was propped up in a chair with her nose in a book that would have very likely bored him to death, and Buffy was leaning against his side, engrossed in the movie they were watching. "The Princess Bride" was a good movie, but there were only so many times a man could be expected to sit through it. He looked down at Buffy, who was now sound asleep, and marveled at the time they had spent together. She had only been seven years old when he had first met her. The first time he had watched her she had looked him up and down, like she was trying to decide if he was worthy of her. With a nod of her head she pronounced him fit, then preceded to ask him if he would marry her. Angel had been flabbergasted. Not wanting to hurt her feelings, he told her she was too young to get married and to ask again when she was older. This had seemed to pacify her for the moment. But every birthday since, she had asked him if she was old enough to get married. It was really cute, and kind of unnerving, that such a sweet child would hold him in such high esteem.

Cute she was but he really wished he was with Darla right now. They were going to go to a party, one with all their friends. But it was OK. She would forgive him, like she always did. He loved her and she loved him. There would be other parties.

~

It was 11:00 before his Mom and Mrs. Summers got home. After Joyce paid him, he took his mom home and asked if he could go out for a while. Surprisingly, she had said yes, he could go out for a couple of hours, as long as he was home before 1:00 A.M.. Not wasting any time, he headed to the party, hoping to catch up with Darla before she left.

Knocking on the door, he could hear all the people partying in the house. Figuring no one could hear him with the music, he just opened the door and walked on in. The first person he saw was his best friend Will, otherwise known as Spike. "Hey, Dude. How's it going? You seen Darla?"

His blond hair looked a little more mussed than usual. "Uh, yeah, she's, uh, around her somewhere. You wait here, and I'll find her."

Angel thought it was weird that Will would offer to do that. "No, that's OK. I'll find her. Just tell me where she is."

"Angel, she's, uh, well, she's in the bedroom."

"What the hell is she doing in the bedroom? Did she have too much to drink and pass out again?"

"Well, yeah, pal, she has been drinking a lot. But, hell, who hasn't? But, no, she isn't passed out."

Angel was getting angry now. "Will, just tell me where she is."

"Back off, man. OK, she's in the master bedroom. But do yourself a favor and just go home."

Angel stalked off, looking for this bedroom. The woman he supposedly loved was in a bedroom doing lord knows what with lord knows who, and he was going to find her. This wasn't happening, it couldn't be. She loved him, she had said as much on more than one occasion. He trusted her.

The first door he opened was the bathroom. Fortunately for him, no one was in there at the moment. He continued down the hall, heading for the last door. Will caught up with him, and grabbed him by the arm. "Angel, man, don't go in there. You really don't want to do that."

"Why the hell not, Will? What the hell is going on? She's MY girlfriend, why would she be in a bedroom with someone else?"

"Angel, I love you, man. We have been best buds since we were in preschool. But you can be so dense when it comes to women. Darla has always been a whore. Hell, she's slept with most of the guys I know over the years."

"But, Will, that was before we were together. She's with me now, right?"

"Damn it, Angel, no, it's not right. She's been doing anything she could catch since way before she met you, and meeting you didn't change anything. Hell, she's in there right now doing Graham."

"No fricking way, Darla wouldn't even talk to him, let alone sleep with him."

"I see you are going to make this hard. Well, good. I have wanted to tell you this for a long time. Darla almost got me into the sack, after you and she started dating. And she would have succeeded if I hadn't got a big burst of conscience at the last minute. But the bitch has no conscience. She is a whore, Angel, and if you don't believe me, open that door and see for yourself."

"No, Will, you are wrong. She wouldn't do this to me. She loves me, I know she does. You have got to be lying."

Opening that door completely changed his outlook on life. It's amazing how one decision can have so many lasting ramifications.

There she was, lying beneath Graham, making the same sounds she had made the few times she had let him go there. His Darla, letting some other man take her. He didn’t think he would ever be able to trust another woman again.

Eight years later

Buffy was going to her first college party. Even though she still had a year to go before she graduated high school, her friend Willow had a boyfriend that was already there. And Willow was coming over to help her get dressed.

Hearing the knock on the door, Buffy went to answer it. Willow was early, which was good because she had no idea what to wear. Throwing open the door, she turned and walked away, assuming the caller was her best friend. “I’m so glad you’re early. I still don’t know what to wear. Mom is not happy about me going, so she has put some serious limits on my wardrobe. If she didn’t like Oz so much, not sure I would be going anywhere.”

The visitor at the door wasn’t Willow. “Buffy, is that you? God, I haven’t seen you in a long time. What, it must be 6 or 7 years?”

Buffy’s mind just stopped. Angel, that has to be Angel. But why? She hadn’t seen him since she was 11. He stopped being her babysitter then. He went off to college and she hadn’t seen him since. But she never stopped thinking about him. Of all the things she remembered about growing up, he was the only thing whose memory never dulled. At least that was what she thought, until she saw him now. If possible, he was even better looking all grown up.

“Yeah, Angel. It’s me. Long time no see. What are you doing here?”

“Uh, I came to pick your mother up. Your mom and mine are going out tonight, but I guess your mom’s car is in the shop.”

Angel had a hard time getting that out. Little Buffy Summers was all grown up. He had known when she was little that she was going to be beautiful, but he had no clue just how lovely she would be. Her face was exquisite. If anything, her eyes had gotten bigger, and greener. Or was that blue. He couldn’t even tell because of all the different colors. Her nose was straight, her chin firm, indicating that she still had her stubborn streak. Her hair was long and really blond. She had it curled on the ends, and it looked really great. And he didn’t even want to think about her body. High, full breasts accentuated a slim waist leading down to a firm, tight ass.

*God, Angel* he thought. *Get a grip. She’s only 17. She’s too young for you, so just stop it. *

Realizing he was staring, and so was she, Angel decided to break the spell. Stepping into the house, he said, “You grew up nice, Buffy. Really nice. Uh, how’ve you been?”

Buffy giggled. “Ooh, you name it, I’ve been it in the last six years. Come on in and have a seat. I don’t think Mom is ready yet.” Sitting down next to him, she tried to think of something to say. “Uh, so how’s college life? I heard you got a football scholarship to USC.”

Angel couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her mouth. She had the most sensuous lips he had ever seen. Realizing she was waiting for a response, he snapped out of it. “Well, actually, I graduated last year. I was red shirted my freshman year, so I went for five years instead of four. But I got a head start on my masters.”

“Well, education is a good thing, I guess. Though most of it bores me to death. What did you get your degree in?”

“Actually, I decided on Architecture. I found I have a knack for engineering, and an eye for design. As a matter of fact, one of my building designs won an award last year.”

“Really? Where is it built? Maybe I can see it one day?” Buffy asked.

Angel smirked at that. “Well, the design won an award, but no one has actually bought the design yet. That’s kind of why I’m here in Sunnydale. I don’t want to work for one of these firms that just keep building the same kind of stuff, you know? I have some really great ideas, and I think I can get people to buy them. So I want to open my own firm. Mom is kind of helping me get it all together.”

Buffy smiled at him. His eyes lit up when he talked about his plans. He was just too cute. She remembered the crush she had on him when she was little. But she wasn’t little any more. And she didn’t get crushes anymore. Or did she? Her heart was beating a little too hard, and her breath coming a little too quickly. And all she was doing was talking to him. She wondered what it would be like to have his lips kissing hers. *Geez, Buffy, stop it. He’s much too old for you. He’s a man, not some high school kid. *

Feeling really warm, Buffy got up from the couch, trying to remove herself from the heat that seemed to be Angel. “Well, it’s been really good seeing you again, but I have a party to get to. So I guess I’ll maybe see you around, huh?”

Angel stood up, his manners kicking in naturally. “I hope so, Buffy. I meant what I said, you grew up really nice. And it’s been good seeing you again.”

Tossing a look over her shoulders, she had to agree. “Yeah, Angel, looks like we both grew up nice. See ya’.”

Buffy ran up the stairs, into her bedroom, slamming the door. She wondered if she had a paper bag handy. She felt like she was going to hyperventilate, and she read somewhere that breathing into a paper bag would help. He was so hot, so sexy, just a few minutes in the same room with him caused her to loose her breath. Damn, that did not make sense.

About the time that her heart and her breath returned to normal, Willow knocked on her bedroom door. Grateful to hear a familiar voice, Buffy opened the door to let her in. Willow hurriedly entered the room, and plopped down on the bed. “Buffy, did you know that our ‘Angel’ is sitting in the living room? Gosh, we haven’t seen him in years. And, boy, did he grow up fine. Not to say he wasn’t fine when he was younger, but now he’s like *wow*.”

Buffy laughed at Willow’s excitement, secretly glad that she wasn’t the only one that was affected by Angel’s appearance. “Yes, Willow, I know he’s here. We had a nice little conversation before you got here. And, yes, he is definitely fine. But, heck, I knew it when I was seven. The rest of you were just slow on the uptake.”

‘OOH, yeah, that’s right.” Willow gushed. “You proposed to him when you were seven, and every year after that. Do you still want to marry him?”

“Please, Willow, I’m not seven anymore. And besides, he’s way too old for me. Isn’t he?”

Buffy was shocked at her friends comment. Willow was usually so conservative in her speech. “Willow Rosenberg, you should be ashamed of yourself. That’s terrible.”

Giggling again, Willow replied, “Yeah, you’re right. I don’t know what came over me. Your so innocent and all.”

Blushing, Buffy said, “OK, girl, that’s enough of that. Just because I’ve never done the dirty, doesn’t mean I don’t know what you mean. So just stop embarrassing me.”

Chastised, Willow apologized. “I’m sorry, Buffy. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I think it’s great that you’re waiting for the right guy. Heck, that’s what I did, I just found my mister right before you did. But, don’t worry, you’ll find him, and you have lots of time.”

Buffy felt guilty that she made her friend feel bad. “No, it’s OK, Willow. I know you were just funning. And, let me tell you, if I wanted to just do the dirty, Angel would be on the top of my list.”

Willow jumped from the bed and gave her a hug. “See, I always knew you had good taste. Let’s get you dressed, so we can go party, huh?”

Buffy and Willow arrived at the party about Nine o’clock. It wasn’t that crowded yet, but there were still a lot of people shoved into one place. As soon as they walked into the room, Oz seemed to sense Willow’s presence. Walking away from the equipment he was working on, he approached them. Grabbing Willow by the waist, he planted a big kiss on her lips. After several minutes, Buffy coughed, beginning to feel uncomfortable.

Oz broke the kiss, and smiled at Buffy. “Sorry, Buffy, I didn’t mean to embarrass you. Glad you could make it.”

“No prob, Oz. I’m glad I could too. So, what time do you guys start playing?”

Squeezing Willow tighter, he commented, “The Dingoes take the stage at 10:00 o’clock. And you don’t want to miss it. We almost don’t suck.”

Laughing, Buffy agreed. “Yeah, and that’s a glorious recommendation if I’ve ever heard one. You know I’ll be there, right in the front row.”

Laughing, Oz placed one last kiss on Willow’s mouth. “I have to go finish up, but if I were you two, I think I’d avoid the front row. Not sure about these loaner speakers, and I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.” Turning around, he headed back to the equipment, picking up where he left off.

Willow continued to stare at him as he walked away, a dreamy smile on her face. “Earth to Willow, are you in there?” Buffy questioned.

Mentally shaking herself, Willow smiled at her friend. “Oh, sorry, Buffy. I guess I was kind of, you know, preoccupied.”

“I could see that. How about we mingle and see if we can find something to drink, huh?”

“That’s me, the mingling girl. Shall we?” Willow responded, hooking her arm in Buffy’s and leading her into the kitchen. “Oh, Buffy, I see a friend of Oz’s. His name is Parker, and he’s really cute. Let’s go say hi.”

“Hi, Parker. This is my friend Buffy. I brought her over to meet you.”

Shooting Willow a dirty look, Buffy managed to find her voice. “Nice, uh, to meet you, Parker. I hear you’re a friend of Oz’s.”

Parker smiled at her. “Yeah, I’ve known him for a while now. It’s nice to meet you too, Buffy. Would you like something to drink?” He handed her a glass full of punch, and she took a big swig, for lack of anything else to do.

As she swallowed, Buffy could feel the burning begin. Trying not to spit on him, she swallowed the rest, and immediately began to cough, her eyes watering. As soon as she could talk, she said, “Oh, I guess this isn’t punch, is it?”

Parker laughed. “Sure it is, just probably not the kind you’re used to.”

Not wanting to look like a kid, Buffy took another smaller sip. It went down OK this time, though it still burned. Willow gave her a funny look, and pulled her to the side. “Buffy, what are you doing? You aren’t old enough to drink, and from the look on your face, I’d have to say that’s some pretty potent stuff.”

“What did you want me to do, Willow? Hand it back and tell him that I’m just a high schooler and my mommy won’t let me drink? Don’t worry, I’ll just have the one glass. What harm can it do?”

“I don’t know about this, Buffy. You’ve never drank before, and I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“Willow, just relax. I’ll be fine. Now, if you don’t mind, can I get back to entertaining Parker? You’re right, he’s cute.” Buffy left Willow standing there, with a concerned look on her face. Oh, well, Buffy was a smart girl. She can take care of herself, Willow thought. And she left her with Parker, while she went to say hi to the rest of the band.

~

Buffy was having a blast. Parker was fun, and cute, with a really nice smile. And he could dance. Once the Dingoes had taken the stage, he and Buffy had taken to the dance floor, and had only gotten off of it to quench their thirst. She was really proud of herself. She was still on her first glass of punch. Of course, she hadn’t noticed that Parker kept refilling her glass.

Dancing with abandon, her head spinning, Buffy turned her back to Parker, and began rubbing herself against him. Parker grabbed her around the waist and pressed her closer, placing a wet kiss on her throat. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned back and turned her head to place a kiss on his lips.

That was about the time that Willow grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her from the dance floor. Parker followed them, not wanting to let Buffy out of his sight.

Dragging Buffy, Willow could see that Parker was tagging along. Not wanting to have this conversation in front of him, she pushed Buffy into bathroom and quickly locked the door.

Buffy turned on Willow, and almost fell as her head began to spin. Sitting down on the commode, she took a moment to gather her wits. “Willow, what the hell was that about?” Buffy slurred.

“That’s what I’d like to know. What the hell are you doing? You just met Parker and you’re out there kissing him and rubbing against him in front of a room full of people. And just how much have you had to drink? You’re slurring your words and staggering.”

“Well, MOM, if you must know, I’m still on the same glass. And what business is it of yours if I’m having a good time? I’m not doing anything wrong.”

“No, Buffy, you wouldn’t be if you knew Parker. But you’re giving him the wrong impression. And just so you know, Oz filled me in a little on Parker. He may be cute but he’s also a whore dog. His specialty is to literally ‘love ‘em and leave ‘em’. He only wants one thing from you, and you know what that is.”

Staggering to her feet, Buffy confronted her friend. “No, Willow, you’re wrong. Parker really likes me. You’re just jealous, that’s all.”

Sputtering, Willow snapped, “What the hell have I got to be jealous about? At least I have a man, one who loves me. I don’t have to pick up some guy at a party.”

Seeing the hurt in her eyes, Willow tried to apologize. “Oh, Buffy, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

“No, Willow, that’s OK. It’s good to finally find out how you really feel. You think I’m just some loser who can’t get a man. Well, you just sit back and watch.” Buffy stormed out of the bathroom and went immediately back to Parker’s side. She grabbed his glass and chugged the rest of it, turning to give Willow an “I told you so” look. Then the two of them disappeared into the sizable crowd.

~

Willow had been looking for Buffy for a good half hour. She had caught sight of her about twenty minutes ago but by the time she threaded herself through the crowd, she was gone again. Dejectedly she went to sit on the stairs out front, needing some air, and wondered what she was going to do. Tears began to roll down her cheeks. She couldn’t believe she had said that to Buffy. It was all because her friend had hit a nerve. She was a little of jealous of Buffy. Buffy was the beautiful one.

Having been her best friend all their life had not been easy. Every time they went somewhere, even when they were little, Willow might as well have been invisible. It was always, “Oh, Buffy, you’re such a pretty little girl.” When people had noticed her, all she got was “My, look at all that red hair.” It really was depressing. And it just got worse the older they got. Oz had been the only man who had ever been able to look past Buffy and see Willow standing there.

But she really didn’t begrudge Buffy her beauty, it wasn’t like she could help it. And she was proud to be seen with her. Hell, she loved Buffy like a sister, and was glad that everyone thought she was beautiful. Buffy had just hit a little too close to her green-eyed monster tonight, that was all.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Willow looked up. Shocked, she stood up and wiped her eyes. “Angel, what, w-what are you doing here?”

“John, one of my friends, is a member of this frat house. He invited me. I think the better question is what are you doing here? I thought you were going to go to a party with Buffy.”

“I am, and here we are. At least, here I am. I’m not sure about Buffy.”

Angel gave her a concerned look. “What do you mean, you’re not sure? Didn’t she come with you?”

Starting to cry again, Willow nodded.

Frantically, Angel grabbed Willow by the shoulders, looking into her eyes. “Willow, what the hell is wrong? Where’s Buffy, and why are you crying?”

“Angel, I can’t find her. And she’s,” hiccupping she continued through her tears, “she’s been drinking, and she doesn’t drink. And she’s kissing all over this guy and he likes to, you know, pick up women and stuff. And we got into this fight, and I don’t know where she is.”

“Come on, Willow. We’ll find her together. She’s got to be here somewhere.” Angel wrapped his arm around Willow’s shoulder, leading her back into the house.

~

Parker had talked her into coming upstairs to one of the empty bedrooms. They had started off talking, and then he had kissed her. Now they were lying on the bed engaged in a heavy make out session. Starting to feel a little lightheaded, she pushed him off, “Parker, I need to sit up. The bed is starting to spin.”

Grabbing her around the waist, Parker let her sit up for a few minutes and then began to kiss the back of her neck. “Come on, Buffy. Just let it go. You like me, I like you, so let me show you how much.” Pulling her back down, Buffy kissed him back. His hands were roaming down her waist and up under her skimpy shirt, massaging her naked flesh. It felt really good and Buffy couldn’t find it in her to object. Until he moved his hand up her skirt, and pressed his fingers against her. No one had ever done that before and she wasn’t up to having it happen tonight, when she couldn’t seem to even focus her eyes.

Downstairs, Angel was making a room-by-room search, looking for Buffy. He and Willow were checking every nook and cranny, trying to find out where she went. “Willow, tell me the truth,” Angel asked, “Could she be upstairs?”

Angel began opening doors, yelling for Buffy. One by one, he uncovered couple after couple, but had yet to find Buffy. The last room down the hall was the only one left. As he approached it, he heard screaming.

“Damn you, stop it. Get off of me, I said no.”

“You’re nothing but a big tease. Come on, we were having such fun.” Those were the last words Parker would speak for several weeks, as Angel pulled him off of Buffy and landed a punch that proceeded to break his jaw.

“You piece of shit, she said no. Are you deaf or something?” Angel asked, as he hit Parker again. Grabbing Buffy around the shoulders he handed her off to Willow, who took her into the hallway.

Angel grabbed Parker off the floor and shook him hard. “You slimy bastard, if I ever see you near her again, I will personally make sure you have nothing left to offer a woman.” Dropping him again, Angel kicked him in the ribs on his way out.

The hallway was now packed with people who were vying for a position to see what the commotion was. Checking through the masses, he spotted Willow and Buffy crowded up against the wall, Buffy crying hysterically on Willow’s shoulder. Working his way through the crowd, ignoring people asking questions, he didn’t stop until he got to them. “Willow, is she OK?”

“Yeah, Angel, she’ll be OK. She’s just scared, embarrassed and drunk. Not a good combination. He didn’t hurt her, thank God.”

Looking up at him, Buffy was mortified. Unable to look him in the eyes, she dropped her eyes to the floor. “Thank you, Angel. I, I’m sorry to be such a bother. I don’t know what came over me, that’s not like me.” Tears were pouring down her cheeks during her admission.

Grabbing Buffy around the shoulders, Angel propelled her towards the stairs. He turned and looked at Willow. “Willow, you have a ride, right?”

“Yeah, Angel, I have my car.”

“Good, I’m going to take her home.”

“OK, and Angel, thanks. Looks like your still watching over us, huh?”

Grinning, Angel replied. “Yeah, but it’s a little different now. Almost miss the days of mudpies.”

Even Buffy had to grin at that. Even through her tears, Angel looked good. Probably just the booze talking. Walking down the stairs, Angel continued to drape his arm over her shoulders just because it felt right. Walking her into the hallway, he turned her around to face him. “Now that we’re not in the middle of all that, are you really alright?”

Touched by his concern, the tears came again. “Yes, Angel, I’m fine. But my head is really starting to hurt, and I have this incredible urge to toss my cookies. Can we go home now?”

Laughing, he nodded assent. “That’ll teach you not to drink. Stuff never leads to anything good, and I learned that the hard way. You think you feel bad now, just wait until tomorrow.”

Moaning, Buffy sat down in the front seat of Angel’s car and leaned her head back, closing her eyes. As Angel pulled out into the street, the motion caused Buffy’s head to spin and her stomach to roil. “Oh, Angel, I really don’t feel well.”

“Just try to focus on the road, Buffy. Don’t close your eyes, it will just make it worse.”

After a few minutes of silence, Angel decided he had to know. “Buffy, that guy, he, you know, he didn’t do anything, did he?”

“NO, Angel. He was persistent, but I don’t think he would have really hurt me. You’ll be glad to know you came in the nick of time. My hero.”

Angel gave her a deep penetrating look, trying to make sure she was telling the truth. Seeing no deceit in her eyes, he nodded. “I’m not a hero, Buffy. I’m just a guy who thinks a girl ought to be taken seriously when she says no, as well as sober when you’re trying to get down her pants.”

Returning his look, Buffy smiled. “Angel, will you marry me? Am I old enough yet?”

With a twinkle in his eye, he answered the question with the same response he’d been giving her since she was little. “No, Buffy, you’re not. But ask me again when you’re older.”

Laughing, they both became silent, deep in their own thoughts. He was shocked at the fact that a part of him wanted her to do just that. And she was surprised that his reply had made her heart beat just a little bit faster.

Buffy tried, she really did, to keep her eyes open, but it just wasn’t working. And every time she closed her eyes, the swimming began again. “Angel, I really think we need to pull over. I think I’m going to be ill.”

“Oh, shit, Buffy, just hang on. I just bought this car and I really don’t want you to barf all over it.” Pulling over, Buffy was out of the car with her head hanging in a bush before it came to a complete stop. Sighing, Angel got out and went over to her. Reaching down, he held her beautiful hair back out of the way as she continued to hurl up everything in her stomach. After several minutes, Buffy wiped her mouth and stood up. Embarrassed beyond belief, she did what she always did. Decided to make light of the situation. “Well, Angel, this has got to be the worst night of my life. I’m so glad you got to see me in all my glory.”

Angel chuckled, “Wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Come on, let’s get you home and in bed. If you’re lucky, you’re mom won’t be home. They were going to go to some new bar, so they might not be home yet.”

“Eww, don’t say bar in front of me. I’m never drinking again.” Buffy complained.

“Well, Buffy, you have to learn moderation. I know I did.”

“Oh, did you get drunk and make a fool out of yourself, and then almost barf on the floorboard of some hunky man’s car?” Realizing what she said, Buffy blushed a bright crimson red. “UH, no, I guess you wouldn’t have done that, would you?”

Angel was enchanted with the girl/woman in front of him. Every time she opened her mouth, something fascinating came out. Smiling at her, trying to alleviate some of her embarrassment, Angel ignored the remark. “No, Buffy, I’ve never done that. But I have made an ass of myself on more than one occasion. And that’s all you really need to know about that. Now get in the car so I can take you home.”

Getting back in his car, Buffy found she felt much better since she had emptied the vile content from her stomach. Not great, but better. Before she knew it, they were pulling up in front of her house. As Angel pulled in to park, Buffy could see there were no lights on in the house. Which meant her mom wasn’t home yet. If she had been, she would have left a light on for Buffy. “Whew, look’s like I escaped with my life. Mom’s not home yet.”

“Looks like tonight’s your lucky night. So you’re off the hook.” As Buffy started to get out of the car, Angel grabbed her by the arm. “Buffy, I hope you learned something tonight.”

Turning back around, Buffy sat back down. “Yeah, Angel, I did. One, don’t drink something that someone else hands you.”

Sighing, Angel continued. “No, Buffy, though that’s a good start. You need to remember that there are men out there that only want one thing from you, and it’s not your heart. What you have is too special, too precious, to give it up to just anyone. A real man knows how to appreciate a gift, and will wait for you to be ready to give it. A boy will take whatever is handed him.”

“How did you know?” Buffy asked, searching his eyes for an answer.

Puzzled, Angel asked, “Know what, Buffy? That you’re a virgin?”

Gasping at his plain talk, a breathless “Yes” is all she could get out.

“Let’s just say that I feel like I know you, that I’ve always known you. And anyone who knows you can see it in your eyes.”

She was again embarrassed to the roots of her hair. He must think she such a little girl, when she really wasn’t. “I have to go.”

Again, Angel grabbed her, stopping her from her departure. This time she tried to pull her arm from his grasp. “Angel, please, let me go.”

“No, Buffy. Not until I say what I want to say.” Taking a deep breath, Angel noticed that Buffy refused to look into his eyes. Grabbing her chin, he turned her lovely face towards him. “Do not be embarrassed about this, Buffy. You should be proud. You’ve proven that you’re not some bimbo who jumps into bed with the first man she meets. You will find that man, but just make sure it’s on your terms. Not his. So many girls your age just jump into bed thinking it will make them an adult. It’s so much more adult to wait until it’s right. I’m proud of you, and you should be too.”

Flabbergasted, that was the first word that came to Buffy’s mind. “You don’t think I’m a freak? That it’s weird that I’m almost 18 and haven’t had sex yet?”

Smiling at her with a smile that reached his soul, he rubbed her cheek with his thumb. “No, I think it’s just right for you. When you decide to have sex, it should be with someone you really love, and you will find him. In the meantime, you’re not losing anything by not having sex. Trust me, without love, it’s just not the same.”

“Sounds like you know from experience.” Buffy responded.

“Unfortunately, I do.”

Curious now, Buffy leaned into him. “Angel, have you ever been in love?”

Smirking, he replied. “I thought I was, once. Not so sure anymore. But it, well, I was but she wasn’t. She was too busy putting notches in her bedpost, if you know what I mean.”

Seeing the confused look on her face, Angel smiled. “I see you don’t know what I mean. God, being with you is like taking a breath of fresh air. She was doing it, with any and every one pretty much. Notches in the bedpost is an old expression, like when people would put notches in their gun for everyone they’d killed with it.”

Eyes wide, Buffy stammered, “Oh. OH, I get it now.” Blushing, she said, “You must think I’m an idiot. I’m really not, at least I don’t think so.”

“No, Buffy, you may be young, but you are far from an idiot. I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed a conversation with a woman this much. It’s been really fun. Now you better get inside before your mom comes home and wonders what we’re doing in my car at 1 AM. She likes me, but not that much. Come on, I’ll walk you to the door.”

Opening his door, he walked to the other side to help Buffy out of the car. As she stepped out, he automatically draped his arm across her shoulders, walking with her to her front door. As they reached the stoop, Buffy reached into her bag and pulled out the key. Fortunately, Willow had remembered to hand her bag to her as she was leaving, or she was sure she would have left it there. She leaned into the door and unlocked it, then turned around to say goodbye to Angel. Buffy was standing on the step while Angel was on the landing, which brought them almost eye-to-eye. Looking into his eyes, Buffy spoke. “Well, again, let me apologize for ruining your night. But thanks for taking care of me. I obviously wasn’t doing a very good job of it.”

Angel smiled, unable to help himself. He leaned into her hair and whispered in her ear. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than spend time with the only woman who has ever asked me to marry her.” Stepping back, he was stunned when she leaned forward and placed a kiss, not on his lips, but on his cheek. Her lips were warm and soft, and his mind was starting to go places it shouldn’t. Then she pulled back.

Smiling at him again, she laughed. “And don’t you forget it. I might just ask you again one day, when I’m old enough, of course.”

Laughing, he turned to walk back to the car while she continued to stand on the stoop. In an insane moment, he turned and winked at her. “I hope you do, beautiful. I really hope you do.”

Five Years Later

Graduation Day. It’s amazing how much more it seems to mean when you’re in college than in high school. She, Buffy Anne Summers, was now a college graduate. It had been a really long four years and she was ready for it to be over. But she wasn’t sure what it meant for real life to begin. Nervous and excited, she was up before the crack of dawn.

Running downstairs, Buffy filled the coffee pot and hit the on button. Today was going to be a long day. First was the graduation ceremony and then her mom was using the gallery for her party. It was a catered affair complete with a buffet dinner and an open bar. Everyone they had ever met would be there, or at least was invited. In all the stress of her finals, she never got a chance to see who had accepted. She knew Riley would be there cause he was her current *boy friend*, as well as her friends, though she was couldn’t help but wonder if *he* would be there. She hadn’t seen him since that disastrous and wonderful night when she was seventeen. Even to this day, just thinking about that night made her blush at her stupidity and glow at the same time.

Through the contact with his mom she knew he wasn’t married. Of course, he had dated lots of women from what she knew. But no one important. And his company was a huge success. Still based in Sunnydale only because he wanted it to be, they were one of the only firms specializing in building or refurbishing a building to a chosen time period. And that was her specialty. She had a minor in world history, with a major in interior design. While Angel worked on the building itself, she wanted to work on those same buildings from the inside. Making sure the decor fit the time period that was intended.

Grabbing a coffee cup out of the cabinet, Buffy filled it and sat down at the counter. It seemed to her like she had been thinking of Angel her whole life. As far back as she could remember, when she thought of her future his face was always there. She may be naive but not enough to believe in ever after. Well, at least not ever after with Angel. After all, he was older and much more experienced than her. There was no way she could compete with the kind of women he was used to dating. According to his mom, his latest girl was a model. As in the New York, runways, lots of money kind of model - not the JC Penny’s catalogue kind of model.

But as insecure as that made her feel, she just knew that he was meant to be someone important in her life. It could just be childhood fantasies that kept that dream alive, but Buffy wasn’t going to let them go without a fight. She had waited a long time, and if she got the opportunity, she was going to go for it. She was going to have Angel even if it was only once. Damn his age, damn his girlfriend, and damn her virginity. Now that she wasn’t tied down by her classes, she would find the time to see him. Accidentally of course, unless he came tonight. Tonight would be the perfect opportunity, one Buffy didn’t plan to blow given the chance.

Buffy was startled from her thoughts by her mom’s entrance into the kitchen. Flinching, she almost spilled her coffee. “Oh, mom, you scared me to death. I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”

Laughing, her mom went to get her a coffee cup from the cabinet. “I noticed. What in the world were you thinking about?”

Blushing, Buffy got up to refill her cup, trying to avoid her mom’s eyes. “Oh, nothing important. Just thinking about the big day.” Regaining her composure she sat back down in her chair, hugging her cup, blowing on it to help cool it down.

Joyce poured herself a cup and sat down across from her. “Well, you could have fooled me. You might have been sitting here, but you’re mind was miles away. Thinking about Riley, maybe?”

Buffy smirked. “Mom, you know I like Riley. He’s very nice. But it’s just not like that between us. I just don’t feel that way about him.”

Reaching over, she touched Buffy’s hand with her own. “He’s such a nice man, Buffy. I think, if you let yourself, you could feel that way about him. I know he loves you.”

With an exasperated sigh Buffy looked at her mom, trying to penetrate her brain. “Mom, we’ve had this conversation a thousand times. I DO NOT love Riley. I care for him, I like being around him but that’s it. I’ve been honest with him, and he knows how I feel. I never wanted to hurt him but I’m afraid that’s exactly what’s going to happen. But I have to do what is right for me. And I just don’t see Riley anywhere in my future.” At that comment, Angel’s face popped into her mind, causing her to blush again.

Sighing, Joyce decided to give up for now. “OK, Buffy, I don’t want to argue with you. You’re an adult now. I just want you to be happy.”

Standing up, Buffy reached over and hugged her Mom. “I know you do, and so do I. But let me get out of college and get a job before you try marrying me off, please?”

Hugging her back, Joyce commented, “You’re right, honey. No more talk today about Riley, or men in general.”

Smiling, Buffy walked to the dishwasher and began unloading the dinner dishes from the night before. “Uh, Mom. How many RSVP’s did we get for the party tonight?” Buffy knew she was fishing, but didn’t care. She just couldn’t find the nerve to come out and ask her Mom if Angel was coming. Maybe because she was afraid the answer would be no.

“Oh, didn’t I tell you? We have over 150 people coming. I had to order more food. All your friends are coming and so are you aunts from LA. It’s going to be great. And of course, several of your teachers from high school and even a few of your college professors promised to make an appearance. I’m so proud of you honey. You managed to make quite an impression on several of them. And here’s the exciting part. I even managed to pull some strings and get the owner of RG Designs to come.”

Buffy’s mouth dropped open. “You did what? Mom, what were you thinking?”

“Honey, you know that I’ve known him for years. Rupert is a friend, and the fact that he owns the premiere design firm in the country is just a bonus. You know, they have a whole division that specializes in what you want to do. With all the pictures of your work hanging in the gallery for the party, it should be a really great opportunity for you.”

“YOU DID WHAT?” Buffy was stunned. “Mom, how could you? You didn’t even ask me, let alone let me approve what you’re displaying. You can’t just hang anything I’ve ever done in the gallery for everyone to gawk at. Geez, I’m still an amateur. If Rupert Giles sees some of those, I’ll never get a job anywhere.”

Tsking at her daughter, Joyce replied, “Nonsense, Buffy. I own a gallery. I know good work when I see it so I’m not going to embarrass you. It’s just a few photos and sketches of some of the rooms you did computer designs for at school. And a couple from the internship you did with that historical society. And I can assure you, they are really good. I wouldn’t intentionally embarrass you. And besides, some day millions of people will be looking at your work. So sweetheart, it’s time you got used to it.”

Buffy felt like she was going to barf. She knew she was good and that people would some day be looking at her designs. She just wasn’t planning on it being so soon. “I just wish you would have discussed it with me, Mom. I didn’t want my graduation party to turn into a job interview. But I know you meant well.” Not wanting to hurt her Mom’s feelings, Buffy decided to let it go. One way or the other, she would survive this. The Double Meat Palace was always hiring so she wouldn’t starve. “Uh, Mom, is Anne Donahoe going to be there?”

Smiling at her, Joyce happily responded. “Well, of course, honey. Anne has known you for years, and she wouldn’t miss it.”

Trying to be slick, Buffy smiled. “That’s so nice. How about Angel? Is he going to make it?”

“I don’t know, honey. His mom said he was in New York this week, but he was going to try to get back if he could. So we’ll just have to wait and see. Why?”

Feeling her heart sink, Buffy tried to blow it off. “Oh, just curious. No big deal. I think I’ll go upstairs and lay back down. Lord knows, we have about a gazillion hours until we have to leave.”

“Okay, honey. You might want to go back to bed. This could be a long day.”

Buffy wished for that, more than her mom would ever know. “Well, Mom, we’ll just have to see. In some ways, I really hope you’re right.” Kissing her Mom on the cheek, Buffy walked out of the kitchen, and headed up the stairs to her bedroom.

~

Throwing herself down on the bed, Buffy couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. She hadn’t realized just how much she was looking forward to seeing Angel until her mom had said he might not come. Somehow she felt like the whole party was going to be a waste if he wasn’t there. Sitting up she wiped her eyes, taking a deep breath to regain her control, and gave herself a pep talk. *Get it together, Buffy. It’s not the end of the world. And he did say he’d try to make it. So think positive. *

Feeling better she laid back down, deciding that she might as well go back to sleep. The morning loomed in front of her with nothing to do so a nap was just what she needed. If she got lucky, maybe she’d have one of *those* dreams about Angel again. The ones that made her breathless and tingly all over. The ones that made her know that he was going to be her first.

~

The Gallery was beautiful. Her mom had decorated it in burgundy and cream, with streamers at every possible location. The tables were decorated with a wide variety of appetizers, all served on silver platters. The first thing she did was check out the pictures and designs that her mother had on display. She wasn’t about to let her mom embarrass her if it was at all possible. Satisfied with what her mom had chosen, Buffy was excited and nervous while waiting to see just who would show. Praying to all the Gods out there, she really wanted to see him.

Buffy looked incredible and she knew it. The dress she wore was cream-colored tea length chiffon with an open back all the way down to the small of her back. The front was cut low also, showing some serious cleavage while leaving very little to the imagination. The skirt was full, swaying with her hips as she walked. Her mom had pitched a fit when she’d seen it but Buffy pulled the *I’m an adult* thing on her, and her mom had relented. Buffy had spent an inordinate amount of time fixing her hair so that her long tresses hung in just the right way, and her makeup was heavier than usual but still minimal compared to most women.

Seeing that the first guests were arriving, Buffy ran over to greet Willow, Oz, Xander and his girlfriend Anya. Hugging them one at a time, Buffy said, “Thanks for coming, guys. It means a lot to me.”

Oz smiled at her in his normal stoic way. “Congrats, Buffy. I knew you could do it.” Anya of course was her normal blunt self. “We’re glad for you, Buffy, but what took you so long? Four years seems like a long time.”

Xander leaned over and gave Buffy a kiss on the cheek. “Hey, Buffy, you know we wouldn’t miss this. And Anya, you know four years is what everybody goes. Just because Willow did it in three, well, honey, that’s not the norm.” Smiling at Buffy, he returned his attention to her. “A college graduate, huh? Now we have two of them. Ooh, let me touch you, maybe it will rub off on me. Well, no, forget that. I don’t want to have to sit through another boring graduation ceremony. ”

Laughing, Buffy kissed him back. “Actually, Xander, if you include Oz we have three. And Mister Construction Site Manager, you don’t seem to be doing so bad without a degree.”

Nodding in agreement, Willow added her own encouragement, “Yeah, Xander. Heck, you’re making more money than I am and I graduated college in three years. So there’s no reason for you to feel inferior.”

Xander chuckled, “Gee, Will, I wasn’t until you brought it up. And I actually make more money than you do?”

Blushing, Willow shook her head. “Well, no, you don’t, but hey, you’re close, so that should count for something.”

Draping her arms around Xander and Willow’s waists, Buffy propelled them towards the food tables. “Come on, guys, let’s get you something to drink and eat. Mom really outdid herself, so there’s enough food to feed an army. And more beer and wine than the whole graduating class could consume, I think.”

Xander perked up at that. “Beer and food? Sounds like my kind of party. Let’s do it.”

~

Two hours later, the Gallery was filled with people. Buffy felt like she had met, talked to, introduced or entertained everyone she had ever met, and some she hadn’t, tonight. And still no Angel. And for that matter no Rupert Giles, the head of RG Designs. She’d been on pins and needles all night, waiting for both their appearances, and neither of them had yet to show. On the plus side, Riley hadn't shown up yet either.

Sighing deeply, Buffy took a sip from her glass of wine. Only just now starting her second glass, Buffy couldn’t help but think about the lesson that Angel had taught her. Moderation, he’d said. And Buffy had practiced that lesson since that night.

About to give up on them both, Buffy saw her mom out of the corner of her eye. She was in deep discussion with a very handsome older man. He was wearing a tweed suit, stylish but conservative. She could tell they were dissecting one of her designs, and that made her very nervous. If someone was going to critique one of her designs to that degree, she wanted to be involved. Walking over to her mom, Buffy interrupted their conversation. “Mom, I see your friend is really interested in this design.” Turning and smiling at him, Buffy extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Buffy Summers. And you are?”

The gentleman took her hand, and shook it. “Ah, yes, Miss Summers. It’s a pleasure. I’ve known your mother for years. She speaks highly of you and you’re talent.”

Liking the man immediately, Buffy smiled back. “Well, I should hope so. She did give birth to me, after all. But you still have one up on me.”

With a confused look on his face, the gentleman looked first at Joyce and then at Buffy. “Excuse me?”

Again, Buffy was touched by his sincerity. “Well, kind sir,” Buffy stated, “I’m think I’m at a disadvantage. You know who I am, but I haven’t a clue as to who you are.”

At the same time, the older man replied, “Oh, dear, Miss Summers. Excuse my rude behavior. I just assumed you knew. I’m Rupert Giles, the owner of RG Designs.”

Buffy wanted to crawl under the nearest rock and die. She’d seen several pictures of this man, knew his resume like the back of her hand, but she hadn’t recognized him in person.

Chagrined, Buffy tried to make amends for her faux paux. “Oh, Mr. Giles, I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you.” Thinking that sucking up would be a good idea, Buffy smiled again at his kind face. “Your pictures don’t do you justice. You’re much better looking in person.”

Laughing, Mr. Giles grabbed Joyce around the waist and kissed her on the cheek. “Joyce, I can’t believe you never told me how wonderful she was. I haven’t had such a good laugh in a long time.”

Realizing her attempt at sucking up had failed, Buffy blushed from head to toe. Damn, she wasn’t very good at it, and had never been. Deciding that honesty was the best policy, Buffy just blurted it out. “Mr. Giles, your right. I’m not very good at sucking up. It’s not my strong suit. But that doesn’t mean I’m not good at what I do. And I’m good enough to know that you’re good at what you do. There isn’t a building or a design that you or your company has done in the last ten years that I don’t know about. And, frankly, there’s a couple I could guarantee that I could do better.”

Shocked, Mr. Giles raised his eyebrows at her. “Oh, really? So, you think you could come into the real world and compete with the likes of me?”

Buffy gave him a half smile. “I don’t want to insult you, cause you do fantastic work. But, yeah, I think I could.”

Approaching Buffy, Mr. Giles smirked at her. “Well, Miss Summers, I’ve looked at your work here tonight, and some of it is really amateurish.”

“Yes, it is. But those ones were done a long time ago.”

Continuing as if he hadn’t heard her, Mr. Giles said, “And some of it is the some of the best I’ve ever seen. So, I have a proposition for you.”

Buffy raised an eyebrow at him, “A proposition? And what would that be?”

Grabbing Joyce by the arm and Buffy as well, Mr. Giles escorted them to an empty table. “Would you ladies like anything before we get down to business?”

After both ladies replied no, he sat down and began to speak. “ Buffy, if I may call you that, I have something I think you will be really interested in. I have a contractor that has purchased a mansion here in Sunnydale. He’s a good friend of mine and even though he doesn’t have a buyer yet, he thinks that once the place is restored to it’s full glory, it could fetch a very tidy sum. And I am inclined to agree with him. His company will handle all of the building restoration and architectural needs, and mine will be responsible for decorating it. I think you would do a wonderful at the decorating and am willing to hire you on a contract basis.”

Joyce and Buffy were stunned. For several minutes, neither of them could form a coherent word so they sat there in silence. Buffy was the first to regain her voice. “Contract basis? What exactly does that mean, Mr. Giles?”

“Well, the first thing it means is you stop calling me Mr. Giles. All my friends and employees call me Giles. And the second thing it means is that you would be employed by me until such time as the job is done or I no longer feel the need

for your services. This way I’m not held down to an offer of employment, and you get a chance to show me your stuff.”

Buffy smirked at him. “So you aren’t willing to offer me a job, is that what you are saying?”

“Yes, Buffy, I am saying that. I own a company that stakes *my* reputation on the quality of the work. I don’t hire college graduates right out of school. But after seeing your work tonight I’m willing to give you a shot. You are good, and I think you would be good for this mansion.”

“And what if I do a good job? What happens then?” Buffy asked.

Giles looked into her beautiful hazel eyes that were so much like her mothers. “If you are as good as I think you are, Buffy, you won’t need me. You’ll be able to go anywhere you want and find a job. But yes, I will hire you in a heartbeat.”

Grinning from ear to ear, Buffy stood up to shake his hand. “Giles, you have a deal. I won’t disappoint you, I swear. You tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”

Giles was thrilled at her enthusiasm. “No need to get into details tonight Buffy. I’ll come around to the house tomorrow and we can finalize our contract.”

Smiling again, Buffy nodded in agreement. “Thanks, Mr. Giles, uh, Giles. This is great. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go tell my friends the good news.” Running from the table, Buffy didn’t even wait for a reply.

Joyce had sat speechless during the whole conversation, amazed at the maturity her daughter displayed. Her daughter was going to work for the only man she had truly ever loved. The world was much too small for her at the moment. Standing up, she chugged what was left of her drink and looked towards Giles. “Thank you, Giles. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

Giles also stood up and hugged Joyce. “You know how much I care for you, but this isn’t about us. Buffy’s designs show incredible promise, and I feel honored to be the first to give her a chance to do something she is really good at. You’ve done a good job with her, Joyce. Its just too bad Hank couldn’t have tried a little harder to be part of her life.” Reaching up, he touched her cheek, running his hands down her throat. “You know I missed you. I always do.”

Her breath catching, Joyce grabbed his hand. “Don’t, Giles. It won’t work.”

Gently grabbing the back of her head, Giles focused his gaze on her. “What now, Joyce? What’s your excuse? Buffy is 22 years old and Hank’s been gone for years, so that can’t be it. Don’t shut me out anymore.”

Swallowing hard, Joyce blinked up into his blue eyes. “It’s not about Buffy anymore, Rupert. And it was never about Hank. We’re two different people now. You’re this big successful businessman, and I’m just the owner of a little gallery in a small town. What could we possible have in common anymore?”

Leaning over to whisper in her ear, his lips close enough to touch her, Giles breathed in her scent. “If you would let me, I would love to show you.”

Pulling back, Joyce was shocked at the reaction his words caused. Her heart was beating a little too fast and her breath kept catching in her throat. Turning around in order to regain some sense of composure, Joyce shook her head. “No, Rupert, it wouldn’t work. You’ve dated all these really sophisticated, beautiful, not to mention young, women over the years. I would bore you to tears in a matter of days.”

Smirking, Rupert nodded his head in agreement. “You’re right, Joyce. I have dated a lot of really beautiful women. But I’ve only loved - hell, I still only love - just one.”

Shocked, Joyce was about to dispute that statement when Buffy again made an appearance. Not wanting to have this conversation in front of her daughter, Joyce pleaded silently with Giles to let it go.

With a look that said ‘This is not over’, Rupert Giles gave a quick nod of his head. “Well, Buffy, how did your friends take the news?”

“Oh, they are really excited for me. Though probably not as excited as I am. I can hardly wait to get started.” Grabbing Giles by the arm, she propelled him to the table. Her mom smiled at her and took the seat next to Giles. “So, tell me all you know about the mansion.”

Buffy sat down with her back to the door, waiting for Giles to fill her in on some of the details. When he didn’t immediately start talking, Buffy looked at his eyes and noticed that he was staring over her shoulder. “Uh, Giles, is there something wrong?” she asked.

Not responding, Buffy heard him mutter under his breath. “Well, I’ll be.”

Wondering what Giles could possibly be looking at, Buffy turned around in her chair only to find herself staring into a white silk shirt. Craning her neck, she looked up to see who the shirt belonged to. Her jaw dropped and it was her turn to mutter now. “Angel?”

Angel leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek. Smiling into her eyes, he whispered “Congratulations, Buffy. I’m very proud of you. The Dean’s list, no less.”

Shocked, Buffy’s mouth continued to hang open. Angel took the seat next to her and said hello to her mother. From what Buffy could tell, Joyce made all the appropriate responses. When Angel turned towards Giles, Buffy regained her voice. Before she could say anything, Angel beat her to it.

“Small world, huh, Giles. I had no idea you knew Buffy.”

Laughing, Angel held his hands up in the air in a gesture of surrender. “No work, I promise, Giles. It just so happens that I’ve known Buffy and her Mom since I was a teenager, and Buffy was in grade school. Joyce is best friends with my mom, and I spent several torture filled years babysitting for Buffy and her friends. I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”

Stunned, Buffy gazed back and forth between the men and asked, “You two know each other?”

Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Uh, Buffy, you could say that. Angel and I have worked together on several projects over the years.”

Smiling back at Buffy, Angel nodded in agreement. “Yep, Giles and I go back a long way. Well, not as long as you and I, but still a few years.”

Even Joyce seemed to be confused, so she just sat there and listened to the conversation. Buffy, in the meantime, couldn’t seem to get her jaw off the floor. Angel was here, and he knew her new boss. She couldn’t seem to wrap her mind around the idea.

Giles cleared his throat, looking Angel in the eye. “Well, Angel, I hope this isn’t going to be a problem. Uh, well, you see, I just hired Buffy to decorate the mansion. On a contract basis, of course.”

Startled, Angel raised his eyebrows. “Really, Giles? That’s not like you. You usually only use seasoned designers. May I ask why?”

Leaning over in order to have a more personal conversation, Giles explained. “If you look around, you’ll see some of her work is displayed tonight. She’s really good, Angel. I think she could do the mansion proud. And she knows it’s on a trial basis.”

Insulted that they were talking about her like she wasn’t there, and confused as to why Angel would care, Buffy chimed into the conversation. “Excuse me, but if you’re going to talk about me, I prefer to be part of the conversation. Angel, what in the world does my working for Giles have to do with you?”

Giles sat up, clearly uncomfortable, and sighed. “Well, Buffy, if you must know, Angel is the contractor I was talking about. You will be working with him on the mansion. I hope that isn’t going to prove to be a problem.”

*Working with Angel? * Her first design job was going to be for Angel? Buffy’s mind had come to an almost complete stop. She would see him, be around him, everyday. Or at least a lot of the time. And he would be the one deciding if her work was good enough. Could she do this? Did she even want to? Coming to a decision, Buffy shook her head. “No, Giles, no problem for me. What about you, Angel?” Looking him in the eyes, she tilted her chin and dared him to object.

Shaking his head, he smiled back at her. “No, Giles. If you think she’s that good, I’m not going to object. I’ve always respected your opinion and admired her spunk, so this could prove to be interesting.” Reaching out his hand in the gesture of a handshake, Buffy shook it. “Welcome aboard, Buffy. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

Joyce had sat there silent during the entire exchange. Tonight was proving to be one of the strangest nights of her life. First the job offer from Giles, then his declaration of love, and now this. Sighing, she realized it was time for the music to start. “Well, I’m glad you worked this all out. I need to go find the DJ and get the music started. So, Buffy, Angel, I’m sure I’ll run into you somewhere in this crowd.” Sensing that Buffy and Angel needed some time to get reacquainted, she ventured to take Giles with her. “Giles, would you like to join me?”

“Why, Joyce, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do more.” Giles responded, standing up and following her. Placing his arm around her waist, the two headed into the crowd.

“Kind of weird, huh?” Angel asked.

“Yeah, really weird. I can’t believe we’re going to be working together. This is definitely not how I imagined this evening, that’s for sure.” Thinking about what she had planned, Buffy blushed all the way up to the roots of her hair.

Noticing, Angel grinned. “So, Buffy, just what did you have planned?”

“Uh, nothing, no big plans, really.” Leaning over, Buffy placed her hand on his hand that was resting on the table. “Thanks for coming, Angel. It means a lot to me that you came.”

Squeezing her fingers, Angel smiled into her eyes. “Like I said, I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. I don’t know why, but when I got your invitation I think I was excited for you as you probably were.”

Blushing again, Buffy decided it was time to change the subject before she went up in a big ball of flames. It was getting really hot in the room, and it felt like someone had removed most of the air. Clearing her throat, she removed her hand from Angel’s. “Well, I appreciate you coming. If it weren’t for you, I would probably be working at the nearest fast food joint. You, along with my mom, were kind of my inspiration, almost like a role model.”

“Oh, Buffy, I think you’re giving me way too much credit.” Angel grinned at her. “You did this all on your own.”

“Well, yeah. But if it weren’t for you, I would still be in school hopping from one major to another. I started out with world history, but I just couldn’t see a practical future in it unless you want to teach, which I didn’t. So then I thought of you and tried architecture, and even though I wasn’t any good at building design, it led me to interior design. So, you indirectly helped to lead me to my chosen profession. Speaking of that, Giles said the mansion was owned by a contractor. You’re an architect, not a contractor.”

“That’s true. But as I began to build the business, I found that designing buildings was one thing, and getting someone to build them like you want is another. So, I decided to do both.”

Laughing, Buffy leaned into him. “But Angel, what do you know about construction?”

Laughing with her, he responded, “A lot more than I used to. I brought in a partner who knows just about everything, and he’s taught me more than I ever cared to know.”

“Oh, well, that’s good. You’re Mom said that things were going well. I’m really glad for you. I, for one, never doubted that you would be successful.”

“Well, Miss Summers, flattery will get you everywhere.” Standing up, he held out his hand to her. “Speaking of which, would you like to show me your work? I’m really anxious to see it.”

Jumping up like a schoolgirl, and then remembering she was in a semi-formal gown, Buffy regained her composure and grabbed his outstretched hand. “Why, Mr. Donahoe, I would love to.” Placing her hand in the crook of his, she looked up into his beautiful brown eyes. “Shall we?”

Angel just stood there staring into her eyes. “Shall we what?” he asked after several seconds. “Oh, yeah, sorry. Lost myself for a moment there.” As they began to walk towards the first of her drawings, he leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Just so you know, that dress is enough to give a man ideas. You’re lucky I’m such a gentleman.”

Giggling, Buffy leaned closer to him, smiling, “Oh, that just might have been the idea. And surely, you aren’t always a gentleman. Sometimes you just have to be a man.”

The air was filled with tinkling laughter as Buffy pulled him forward. “Angel, I’m all grown up. If you play with fire now, you just might get burned.”

Shaking his head, Angel smirked. Stopping, he twirled her around to get a good look at her dress. “Yes, Buffy, you are definitely all grown up. And I think I’m going need some serious skin grafts before this over.”

Looking at each other, they both started sputtering in laughter at the same time. At that, Angel grabbed her around the waist, continuing them on their way. Both of them were still laughing and breathless when they came upon the first design displayed. As the music finally began to play, Buffy couldn’t help but sway to the beat.

As Angel perused her design, she nervously waited for his opinion. It was a collage of pictures from the dining room she had done for the historical society. The house had been an 18th century Georgian, located in the outskirts of Boston. It was one of her better works, and she was getting anxious waiting for Angel to critique it. After several minutes, she couldn’t stand it anymore. “Well, Angel, what do you think?”

Standing up, he shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I’m not a designer, but I would say you captured the mood perfectly. But I’m not so sure about that table. Are you sure it’s not 17th century?”

“No, Angel, look again.” Both of them leaned into the picture, pointing out the things she wanted him to notice. “See the etching on the legs, and the tapering? That’s a sure sign that it’s a design from the early 18th century. The 17th century designers didn’t use that style.”

Smiling up into her face, she realized what he was doing. Standing up at her full 5’2” height, she glared at him. “Oh, testing me, are you? I don’t know whether to be angry or insulted, or both.”

Angel hugged her stiff body. “How ‘bout neither? I had to be sure you know what you’re doing. Giles probably didn’t tell you, but I bought the mansion with my own money. Well, a lot of my own money, and a lot of money from the Bank of Sunnydale. Since I didn’t have a buyer lined up, I didn’t want to stake the future of the company of a hunch. So, I have a lot at stake in this remodel. Anything we spend is coming from a bank, in my name only, and I even have to pay my own company for the work.”

Gulping, Buffy pulled back and gasped. “Angel, do you think that was the smartest thing?”

“Probably not, but there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last 5 years. Never ignore your instincts. So far, it’s proven to be a reliable philosophy.”

“That’s what I hear. So,” Buffy sighed, forgiving his interrogation, “what do you think? Can we do this? Do you trust me to decorate your mansion?”

Looking into her eyes, Angel answered, “Yes, I think I do. Somehow, Buffy, I feel like I could trust you with anything.”

Hearing the song that began to play, Angel asked, “Would you like to dance?”

Grabbing his hand, Buffy began dragging him to the dance floor. “I thought you’d never ask.”

The song was an old Burt Bacharach song that fit Buffy’s mood perfectly. Wrapping her arms around Angel’s neck, Buffy leaned her head on his shoulders. He felt wonderful, and Buffy couldn’t help but rejoice in the fact that he was here, in her arms. She had been dreaming about this moment forever. Running her arms down his back, she again moved her hands up around his neck. Looking up into his eyes, Buffy found herself getting lost in them.

Continuing to stare into each other’s eyes, they were both swept away by the lyrics of the song. It felt like the song was written for them and this moment.

Neither of them could seem to look away, and Buffy was sure she was going to die right there. Dancing with Angel was the best experience of her life. And the way he was looking at her, she was pretty sure dancing with her was affecting him as well. And the stiff parts in his pants kind of gave him away. Feeling his obvious arousal, Buffy leaned into it, luxuriating in the feel of his body being excited because of her. Angel sucked in his breath, and pulled Buffy even closer.

Lowering his head, Angel gently placed a kiss on Buffy’s welcoming lips. Buffy was stunned but thrilled, and leaned in to deepen the kiss. As their tongues began to duel, the song came to an end.

Suddenly, Buffy was pulled from Angel. Startled, she pulled her arm back, and turned to face the person who would dare to ruin her perfect night. Only to stare directly into Riley’s face.

Not knowing Riley, all Angel knew was some really rude person had just interrupted what was probably the most defining moment of his life. Angrily, Angel grabbed the man by the arm and growled at him, “I would suggest you take your hands off of her, and do yourself a favor and back off.”

Riley glared at Angel, red-faced in his anger. “The hell I will. Who the hell are you, and why are you kissing my girlfriend?”

“Who I am is none of your concern, and you had probably better ask your *girlfriend* what she was doing kissing me?” Angel replied, shooting Buffy a dirty look.

“Angel, he is NOT my boyfriend, no matter what he may think.” Grabbing him by the arm, she pleaded, “Please, don’t make a scene. Let me handle this.”

Seeing the sincerity in her eyes, Angel nodded. “I’ll go get us something to drink, and find Willow and Xander. Meet me at their table?”

Smiling her gratitude, she nodded and mouthed ‘thank you’ as she roughly grabbed Riley by the arm and led him off the dance floor.

~

Buffy could never remember being so angry in her life. Ushering Riley into her mother’s office, she slammed the door behind him. “What the hell was that about, Riley?”

“You were kissing that guy. You’re MY girlfriend, damn it.” Riley whined indignantly.

Sighing, Buffy tried to again let him down easy. “Riley, how many times do we have to go through this? I am your friend, but I am not your girlfriend. I care about you, but not like that.”

Riley grabbed her by the arms, and gently shook her. “You don’t mean that. Buffy, we’ve been seeing each other for a year now. I love you, and I know you love me, too.”

Feeling her anger return, Buffy tried to pull away from him, which made Riley squeeze tighter. Feeling the bruises beginning to form, Buffy glared at him. “Riley, I have never loved you. How many times do I have to tell you this? I don’t love you now, and I never will.”

Buffy didn’t like the look in Riley’s eyes, and really didn’t like the next words that came out of his mouth. “This is bullshit, Buffy. So you’ve spent the last year just leading me on? Is that what your telling me? And then the first man that comes on to you, you start necking with like some slut in front of all our friends - when I couldn’t even get a good night kiss?”

Really angry now, Buffy jerked harder and managed to pull her arms from Riley’s grip. Pulling her hand back as far as she could, she slapped him with all her might. “How dare you? I have always been honest with you. Never, not once in the last year, have I ever given you a reason to think we were more than just friends. And, for your information, I’ve known Angel for over fifteen years. Now I think you need to leave.” Turning around to escort him from the office, her head jerked back as Riley grabbed her arm and pulled.

“No, Buffy, this isn’t going to be that easy. I’m not just going to go away empty handed. You will love me, even if I have to make you.”

Despite Buffy’s struggling, Riley pulled her to his chest and wrapped her in a bear hug. Leaning down, he cruelly kissed her lips. After having just shared the world’s most perfect kiss with Angel, Buffy gagged at the touch of Riley’s cold, cruel touch. Trying to protest, she opened her mouth to say no, and he took that chance to stick his overly wet tongue into her mouth. Buffy was gagging so much, she thought she might barf in his mouth. Using the only weapon she had at that moment, she bit down hard on his tongue, drawing blood. Quickly releasing her, Riley slapped her across the cheek, causing her eyes to water and her ears to ring. It wasn’t hard enough to bruise, but she was definitely going to have a welt.

“Bitch, I can’t believe you just did that. All I ever did was love you, and this is how you repay me.” Riley spit out the blood that was now forming in his mouth, and Buffy found some satisfaction in the fact that he spattered some of it on his really expensive suit. Well, that’s not coming out, her inner diva thought.

Holding her cheek, Buffy spat at him, “Get the hell out of here, Riley, before I have you arrested for assault. If I ever see you again, you better hope you have a bodyguard, cause I will make sure it’s a meeting you don’t live through.” Seeing him hesitate, she warned, “You have about 30 seconds before I call the police.”

Realizing he had burned his bridges, Riley stopped long enough to get in one last dig. “You used me, Buffy. You’re nothing but a slut, and I should have known that all the time.” Walking out the door, he slammed it shut as he left.

Grabbing her throbbing cheek, Buffy fell to the floor and cried. She had been so scared. Even more scared than she was when Parker had tried to make her do things she didn’t want to do when she was drunk. How did she miss it? How could she have been friends with this man for a year and not seen the cruel, sadistic side of him? Sobbing again, she didn’t hear the door open.

~

As Buffy led the *asshole*, which was now Angel’s pet name for him, off the dance floor, Angel did as he promised. He went to the bar and got himself a scotch and Buffy a white wine. Searching the rooms, he finally found Willow and Xander at a table in the 17th century art room. As he approached the table, mouths began to drop. Willow was the first to notice him, and the next thing he knew, he was smothered in a big hug by an “I may be drunk” Willow.

“Angel, you’re here. I can’t believe you came.” Willow continued to hug him until Angel gently unwrapped her arms from around his neck.

“Well, of course I came. I wouldn’t miss the chance to see the Scooby gang finally all grown up.” He replied.

Smiling up at him, Willow grabbed him by the arm and led him to the table. Angel shook hands with Xander, who was, as always, a little intimidated. “Hey, Angel, nice to see you again.”

“You too, Xander.” Feeling his discomfort, Angel decided to ease his tension. Looking at Anya, he asked, “So, Xander, don’t tell me this beautiful woman is your girlfriend?”

Xander followed Angel’s line of sight, and found Anya. Putting his arm around her in a possessive manor, Xander replied, “Uh, yeah, Angel, this is Anya. Anya, this is Angel.”

Smiling into her face, Angel realized she really was an attractive woman. Holding out his hand, he shook hers. “Nice to meet you, Anya.”

Anya replied, “Yes, I’m sure it is. Xander has mentioned you, but he forgot to mention how handsome you were.”

Smirking, Angel decided to ignore her comment. It was plain to anyone who had eyes that she loved Xander to distraction, and Angel was really glad for him. Winking at Xander, Angel turned his attention to Oz.

“Hey, Oz, how’ve you been? I haven’t seen you since the party for John’s graduation two years ago. How’s the music business?”

In his usual stoic fashion, Oz replied, “Good, Angel. At least it’s paying the bills.”

“Well, can’t ask for more than that.” Angel responded.

Willow jumped up, and wrapped her arm around Angel’s shoulder. “So, Angel, have you seen Buffy yet?”

“Yes, Willow, as a matter of fact, I just left her with Riley.”

Tsking at him, she swayed, “Angel, you should be ashamed of yourself. Why would you leave her with someone who was so dull? This is her party, she deserves to spend it with someone hot, like you.”

Taken aback at her comment, he arched a questioning eyebrow at Oz. Shrugging his shoulders, he commented, “Sorry, dude, but they, well, especially Buffy, they think you’re hot. And Willow is a little inebriated, so her tact is pretty much all gone.”

Looking back at Oz, Willow objected to the comment. “I am not drunk. OK, well, maybe I am, but he really is hot.”

Angel had the class to be embarrassed by the comment, while Anya took the opportunity to agree. “Yes, Angel, I would have to agree. You are a rather sexy man.”

Deciding it was in his best interest to ignore Anya’s comment, Angel was starting to get worried about Buffy. Hell, how long could it take to blow a man off? “Guys, speaking of Buffy, I’m getting kind of worried about her. You don’t think she left with this Riley guy do you?” Trying to be nonchalant, Angel didn’t do a very good job.

Willow slurred first. “Angel, if you’re here, Buffy’s not leaving with anyone else. Trust me on this.”

Angel felt his heart swell at that comment, and then his instincts kicked into overdrive. He needed to find Buffy. “Well, if you guys don’t mind, I’m going to find her. If she comes back here, keep her here for me, will you?”

Willow again smiled, sitting down on Oz’s lap. “Oh, don’t worry. If she knows you’re coming back for her, she won’t go anywhere.”

~

Angel had looked in every room in the gallery and had yet to find Buffy. Fortunately, it wasn’t a big gallery. Finally coming to Mrs. Summer’s office, he opened the door, only to see Buffy sobbing on the floor, clutching her cheek.

Running over to her, he knelt down and wrapped his arms around her. “Buffy, what the hell happened? Are you alright?”

Looking up into his face, Buffy tried to hide the swelling with her hand. “I can’t believe I was friends with such an asshole.”

Removing her hand from her cheek, Angel looked at her slightly swollen face. An anger like he’d only felt once before welled up inside him. He was almost as angry as the night Parker pulled his stunt with Buffy, maybe even more so. “He hit you? That son of a bitch actually hit you?”

“Yeah, can you believe it? And, you know what’s even worse?” Buffy smirked.

“What, Buffy? What else did that asshole do to you?”

“He kissed me.”

With a confused look on his face, Angel repeated, “He kissed you?”

“Yeah, and it was so awful, I bit his tongue, really hard. Actually drew blood.”

Angel hugged her, and softly kissed her swollen cheek. “Good for you. But when I find him, he’s going to bleed in a whole lot more places.”

“No, Angel, just let it go, at least for tonight. As it is I’m going to have to use a whole lot of makeup, and some pretty good lies just to go back to the party. I don’t want to get people upset.”

“I don’t like you having to lie about it. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Angel commented.

“No, I didn’t. But everyone I’ve ever known almost is out there. And I don’t want my graduation party to turn into a lynching. I’ll tell my mother the truth tomorrow. But for now, let’s just say I ran into a door.”

Sighing, Angel agreed. He didn’t want her night to be ruined any more than it already was. Standing up, Angel grabbed Buffy by the waist and hauled her up to him. “OK, I’ll go along with it for now. But, he will pay. I’ll make sure of it.” Staring into her eyes, he leaned down and kissed her gently.

As he went to pull away, Buffy grabbed the lapels of his jacket and deepened the kiss. Never before in his whole life had he enjoyed kissing anyone as much as Buffy. It was almost a religious experience. Wrapping his arms around her again, he plunged into her mouth with his tongue, causing her to moan into his throat. Angel felt like a teenager again. He was so excited just by kissing her, that he felt like he could lose it at any minute. Drawing back from her mouth, he slid his tongue down her cheek, placing feather like kisses as he went. She tasted wonderful, like vanilla and sunshine. Running his hands up her sides, he gently teased the underside of her breasts while nibbling on her beautiful throat. Buffy arched into his hands, panting and squeezing his arms.

“Please, Angel. I need you to touch me.” Buffy breathlessly begged. For the first time in her life, it felt right to have a man’s hands on her. Every other time a man had touched her it had somehow felt wrong. But not now. This is what she had been waiting for. This was why she was still a virgin - she had been waiting for him.

Angel moaned at her plea, and moved his hands up to cup her breasts. Rubbing her nipples through the material, he could feel them harden into pebbles at his touch. Wanting to see them, he pulled back from Buffy, who whined in protest. “Shh,” Angel said as he walked to the door and locked it. Returning to her, he again grabbed her around the waist, kissing her until she was almost senseless.

As much as Angel was enjoying this, he knew that now was not the time. But he couldn’t deny himself a little bit of ecstasy. Hell, it wouldn’t hurt to tease himself a little bit. And just touching Buffy was a really big tease. She needed to get back to her party, but he needed to be here with her, even if only for a few minutes.

Dragging his lips away from her mouth was almost painful. Looking into her eyes, he continued to tease her nipples through her dress. Her eyes were half-closed, pupils dilated in her arousal until they were almost black, except for the little ring of green around the edge. That one look was probably the most sensual thing he had ever seen, and that was saying something. Angel had had more than his fair share of women, but nothing had ever aroused him as much as the Buffy’s face at this moment. Moving his hand to her throat, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Buffy, honey, I don’t know what you’re doing to me, but this is definitely a new experience. I’m not sure if I want to throw you down on the floor and make mad passionate love to you, or wrap you in my arms so tight that no one can ever hurt you again.” Moving down her throat, Angel kissed and sucked at her flesh until Buffy again moaned in pleasure.

Buffy was beside herself with desire. She could barely even come up with a coherent thought. She had dreamed of this for so long, but the reality of being with Angel like this was so much better. Moaning, she begged, “Please, Angel, make love to me.” Grabbing his jacket, she pulled it down his arms, and he helped her remove it. Throwing it onto the chair, Buffy took the opportunity to unbutton his shirt. While she was doing that with her shaking fingers, Angel reached behind her and unzipped her dress. When he was finally shirtless, he slid Buffy’s dress down her shoulders and hips until it pooled at her feet. As he stopped to take in the sight before him, he gasped. She was spectacular. She wasn’t wearing a bra. The dress she had on wouldn’t accommodate one. And she might as well have not had any underwear on either. Only a cream colored silk thong covered her nether regions from his view. Her breasts were full and firm, with dusty rose-colored nipples. Those led down to a narrow waist and firm hips and thighs. Even her legs, though not long, were perfectly proportioned for her petite body.

Buffy was feeling uncomfortable with his obvious perusal, and she tried to cross her arms over her chest. “Oh, no, Buffy,” Angel said as he grabbed her hands and twined his fingers with hers. “Don’t ever try to hide yourself. You are an amazingly beautiful woman, and you should never try to cover up that beauty. Unless, of course, your not with me.” He growled. Again looking her up and down, Angel had never before felt the possessiveness he felt towards this woman. Releasing her hands, Angel grabbed her by the waist with one hand and kissed her full on the mouth, while grabbing her breast with the other and massaging the soft flesh.

Delirious, Buffy moaned into his neck when he broke the kiss, pushing herself against his hand. No matter how many times you might touch yourself, it couldn’t compete to having the right man touch you with his hands. Grabbing the back of his head, she helped to guide him to the spot that needed the most attention. As his mouth got nearer to her nipple, Buffy’s breathing became so rapid she was afraid she was going to pass out. “God, Angel, please.” Buffy moaned, as she touched his back. He felt like Heaven, hard and soft all at the same time.

Angel gently lathed her nipple with his mouth. She tasted so good he never wanted to stop. And the sounds she was making were making him so hard, he wasn’t sure he was going to make it. Not that he intended to actually make love to her here. This was just a warm up. When he finally made love to Buffy, it was going to be somewhere where they could take their time. That was something he did not want to rush.

Moving his hand lower, he ran his hand to her backside and massaged her cheek. God, it was so soft, yet firm, and he wanted to feel to feel it against his hips as he took her behind. Trying to remember his earlier promise to himself, Angel switched his mouth to her other nipple, and brought his hand around to rub gently up and down her inner thighs. He could smell her arousal, which was just another reason he was finding it so hard to control himself. Plus the fact that her hands touching his back were almost better than anyone else’s hands on his other more sensitive parts.

As Angel’s hand gently began to tease her sex through her thong, Buffy’s knees almost gave out on her. Grabbing his back, she clung to him with all she had. She was so close, she knew it wouldn’t take much longer. Just when she thought she was going to die with longing, Angel dropped to his knees in front of her. Embarrassed but too excited to care, Buffy arched her pelvis into him as he began planting kisses along her thighs. Dragging his tongue along her thighs, he reached his destination, placing a kiss on her panty-covered clit. Buffy groaned, grabbing the back of his head. “Angel, I need something. Please, I can’t take much more of this.”

Inhaling deeply, Angel kissed her thigh again, just taking a moment to marvel at the incredible smell of her. Sweet, sexy, it was just the right mix of lust and musk. He couldn’t wait to taste her. Shoving aside her thong with one hand, he reached up and gently licked her from one end to the other. When Buffy cried out, squeezing his shoulders to the bruising point, Angel felt his cock twitch in response. She was so responsive, so incredibly sexy that he was almost beside himself. And her taste. No words existed to describe her incredible taste. Continuing his ministrations, he moved one of his hands up and inserted a finger inside her as he licked and sucked her clit. God, she was tight. So tight, he could almost feel her clenching his cock in ecstasy. Damn, he was going to come right here on her mom’s office floor.

Knowing he wasn’t going to make it much longer without throwing her down on the floor and taking her, Angel increased the pressure on her clit with his tongue. Continuing to move his finger inside of her gently, he listened to her moans until he could tell she was ready. With one last lick, he gently bit down on her clit, causing all hell to break loose. Buffy came with a low pitched keen, pumping herself into his face until he thought she was going to hurt herself in the process. Damn, he must be the luckiest man in the world.

Quickly hoisting himself up, he kissed her lips again, until they both had to come up for air. “God, Buffy. You are incredible.”

Grabbing him around the throat, Buffy hugged him for all his might. “No, Angel,” she said, “you’re the incredible one.” Looking into his eyes, Buffy blushed all the way to her toes. “That was, well, it was just incredible.” Reaching down, she timidly ran a hand over his swollen crotch, obvious in spite of his pants.

Moaning, Angel grabbed her hand. “No, Buffy, we really should get back to the party. I’m sure you’ve been missed.”

Smiling, she leaned up and kissed his mouth, while leaning down to unzip his pants. “Oh, Angel, a few minutes won’t hurt. And I wouldn’t want you to carry this,” she leered at him, while wrapping her hand around his now unleashed cock, “around with you all night.”

Tentatively, she inserted her hand inside his underwear and squeezed him. Causing Angel to moan, he lurched up to meet her, moaning her name in arousal. Spurred on by his reaction, Buffy grasped him hard and began to move her hand. She may not have done this before, but she knew the general idea. Kissing him, she plunged her tongue inside his mouth, mimicking the movement of her hand. Angel was moving in rhythm with her hand, his breath catching in his throat. Enjoying herself more than she thought possible, Buffy increased her pace, moving her hand up and down with increasing speed on his hard, large member. She couldn’t imagine something this size inside of her, but she was will to give it a try. But now wasn’t the time. As she squeezed harder, Angel threw back his head and groaned in release, mumbling her name, his come spraying all over her hand and his belly. Somehow, by the luck of the gods, he managed to miss his pants. Fascinated, Buffy watched his cock twitch in her hand, finally getting her first real look of the male anatomy. Health class just didn’t do it justice, she thought. At least not Angel’s anyway.

As the tremors subsided, Angel looked into her beautiful face and kissed her gently. Not knowing what to say, moved beyond words, he again kissed her.

“Buffy, are you in there?” Xander’s voice echoed from the hallway, as the doorknob turned frantically.

Jumping back from each other, clothes began to fly everywhere as Buffy and Angel tried to get dressed.

Shooting Angel a panicked look, Buffy responded to Xander’s repeat request. “Uh, Xander, yeah, I’m here. Just, uh, give me a minute, will you??”

Outside the door, Xander stood back and stared at the door in confusion. Again jiggling the doorknob, he asked, “Buffy, why the hell is the door locked? Is Riley with you?”

“GOD, no, Xander!” Buffy yelled at the door. Rolling her eyes, she again looked at Angel, who was attempting to button his pants when his fingers wouldn’t cooperate under the pressure. Shrugging his shoulders at her with an apologetic look on his face, he tried to hurry, but he didn’t have a clue as to what she should say. What happened between he and Buffy was private, so it was up to her how she wanted to handle this with her friends.

“Then what the hell are you doing in there, Buffy?” Xander questioned. “Hell, Angel’s out here somewhere looking for you. And I know you don’t want to miss him. So unlock the damn door.”

Blushing, Buffy looked at Angel who had the class to blush as well. “Well, Xander,” Buffy said, running over to Angel so he could zip her dress, “Angel kind of found me. Uh, could you, uh, just give us a moment? Please?”

Xander jumped back from the door like the knob had shocked him. Not knowing whether to be pissed or tickled, he just stood there. Buffy, Angel, locked door. No one had to draw him a picture. “Oh, uh, yeah, Buffy. No problem. I just wanted to make sure you were OK. Uh, people are starting to wonder about where you are. So, you probably need to, you know, like, make with the, uh, hurry. I’ll just go back out front.” Still stunned, Xander turned around to rejoin the party. Buffy and Angel, who would of thought it? Smiling, he laughed out loud as he made his way down the hallway. Funny, how it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Sighing, Buffy sat down in her Mom’s chair, finally having managed to right her clothes. Looking up at Angel, she could see that he was putting on his jacket, looking almost as good as he did earlier. Not ‘naked’ earlier, she thought, just ‘clothed’ earlier. Blushing again at her thoughts, she stood up and went to the mirror to fix her face. Grabbing her bag from the desk drawer where she had put it earlier, she pulled out all the necessary war paint and started to try to cover up the welt that was still visible on her face, as well as fix her makeup, which was a lot worse for wear after the events of tonight. As all this transpired, Angel finished dressing and leaned against the door, watching Buffy.

Feeling uncomfortable under his scrutiny, she looked back at him and asked, “What are you looking at?” smiling to soften her words.

Chuckling, he shook his head. Buffy never pulled any punches. “You, if you want to know. It’s somehow erotic just watching you do something simple like apply makeup. I guess I’m just a pervert at heart when it comes to grown up Buffy.” Waggling his eyebrows at her, he looked her up and down, giving her an evil leer.

Finished with what she was doing, Buffy went over and softly kissed him on the mouth. “Okay, Snidely Whiplash, do I pass inspection?”

Reaching down and grabbing her by the ass, he squeezed her soft globes. “Oh, hell, Buffy, you don’t need makeup for that.” Leaning down, he kissed her soft lips gently.

Pulling back, she grabbed him by the hand and unlocked the door. “Guess we better go and join the party, huh?”

Sighing, not wanting to do any such thing, he silently nodded agreement. Hand in hand, they went to face the firing squad, each knowing that Xander probably shared what he found with her friends, and they were going to want explanations.

~

Surprisingly, Xander decided to keep this secret to himself. He still wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about what he had found. And Willow was in no shape to really process the information. Besides, this was Buffy’s big night and he didn’t want anyone ruining it. Reaching the table, he leaned over and gave Anya a kiss. Willow, in her inebriated state, grabbed him around the neck. “Did you find her, Xand?” she asked.

Hugging her, and then prying her hands from around his neck, Xander nodded. “Yeah, Willow, I did, And she’s, well, she’s perfectly fine. She said she would be here in a few minutes.”

Sitting back down next to Oz, Willow asked, “Well, tell me. Where was she?”

Xander took a moment to think about what he was going to say. Sitting down next to Anya, he finally came up with a plausible answer. “Oh, Angel found her, and they were, you know, just talking.” God, he hated lying, and he wasn’t very good at it.

“Just talking, huh?” Willow questioned. She always was too smart for her own good. Giving her a ‘let it go’ look, Xander nodded. “Yes, Willow, they were just talking.”

Smiling, Willow nodded in agreement. “Well, at least she wasn’t just ‘talking’ with Riley. Cause, yuk, is all I got to say.”

With a knowing look, Oz winked at Xander and grabbed Willow’s hand, deciding to see if he could distract her. With as much alcohol as she’d consumed tonight, Oz knew she wasn’t going to let this go unless she had something else to think about. “Come on, Will. Dance with me,” he said, as he led her to the dance floor.

“Angel and Buffy, huh? She is a very lucky woman,” Anya told Xander.

“What?” Xander questioned. “They weren’t doing anything, they were just talking. They only locked the door so they wouldn’t be disturbed.” Realizing what he said, his mouth shut with an audible clip. Damn, he had such a big mouth - he wanted to kick himself. Anya was not the kind of person to who could be discreet enough to not mention something like this.

Staring across the floor, Anya smiled. “Well, if Angel can make a woman look like that by just talking, I would hate to see what he could do, you know, with other things.”

Turning around, Xander’s mouth dropped open. He’d known Buffy a long time, but he’d never seen her look like she did now. Her face was flushed, her eyes shiny, and her mouth just slightly swollen. She looked like a woman that had been well kissed, and God knows what else. As she and Angel approached the table, Buffy gave Xander a small smile, grateful that the posse wasn’t lying in wait to ambush her. Hand in hand with Angel they walked toward the table, each looking like the Cheshire cat.

Sitting down at the table, Buffy politely asked Angel if he would get her a glass of wine. Nodding his head, he left to do just that. As he walked away, Buffy couldn’t help but stare. He was beautiful, and her eyes couldn’t seem to get enough of just looking at him. Realizing that she was staring and ignoring her friends, Buffy turned her attention back to Xander, who was looking at her like he’d never really seen her before. Embarrassed up to the roots of her hair, she asked, “So, Xander, how are things going?”

”I swear, Buffy, I didn’t say anything. At least, nothing that mattered.” Xander defended himself.

Anya smiled at her, and nodded her approval. Reaching over and squeezing her arm, she smirked at Buffy, “You go girl.”

Shooting Xander an ‘I kill you later’ look, Buffy smiled at Anya. “Thanks, hon, but I don’t have a clue what you are talking about. Angel and I have just been spending time getting reacquainted.”

Laughing, Anya slapped Buffy on the knee, “Well, then that explains why you look like a woman who has been well loved. Every woman who has just spent time with a man like Angel and all they did was talk looks like you do now. You know, swollen lips, flushed cheeks, shiny eyes; it’s all caused by just ‘talking’. And what’s with the swollen cheek?” Everyone else had had enough to drink that they hadn’t noticed the slight swelling. Leave it to Anya to mention the unmentionable.

Rolling her eyes, trying to avoid the whole conversation, Buffy was rescued by Angel’s return to the table, followed closely by the return of Willow and Oz. Accepting her glass from Angel, she took a sip, deciding to let it go for now. “So, is everyone having a good time?”

Willow reached over and hugged Buffy, who caught her around the waist to keep her from falling. “Buffy, this is a really great party. But, you know, I think I might have had too much to drink.” Looking over and seeing Angel, Willow began to giggle. “So, I see Angel found you.”

Hugging Willow back, silently thanking the stars that Willow didn’t drink very often, Buffy replied, “Yes, Willow, he did. We were just, you know, talking. Getting to know each other.”

“Yeah, that’s what I hear.” Willow smirked. “So, Buffy, tell me,” she leaned in to whisper in her ear, “How was the ‘conversation’?”

Having never been able to hide anything from her, Buffy smiled, whispering back. “Willow, you have no idea. Now shut up, before you embarrass me in front of Angel.”

Giggling, Willow whispered back, “Wouldn’t dream of it. You have been waiting for years for this, and I think it’s great.” Grabbing Buffy around the shoulders, she hugged her tightly. Kissing her friend on the ear, she spoke again, her voice barely audible. “He’s been waiting for you. Don’t leave him, no matter what. You two belong together.”

Pulling back, Buffy gave her friend a strange look. Where did that come from? Willow had always had a keen insight into the things that happened around them, but this almost seemed like a premonition. Shaking it off, Buffy turned back towards the table, amazed at the happiness she felt at having all her friends around her. Her life was coming together in a big rush, and she felt like she had been waiting for this to happen all her life. And Angel was a part of it. Reaching over, she grabbed his hand and leaned into him, wanting to just feel his body against hers. Wrapping his arm around her waist, Angel felt the same way. Touching Buffy was the foremost thing in his mind, so much that he didn’t even hear Joyce approach the table.

“Uh, Buffy, honey, I saw Riley a little while ago. He was looking for you.” Joyce commented, giving Angel a strange look.

Jumping back, Buffy pulled away from Angel, feeling like a little girl who got her hands caught in the cookie jar. “Uh, hey, Mom. Don’t worry, I found him. And he left. So no worries.”

Trying to hide her face so her Mom wouldn’t see the welt, Buffy noticed the hurt look on Angel’s face. What the hell was she doing, she thought. She was almost twenty- three years old, and she was letting her mother scare her away from what she wanted. Taking a deep breath, she wrapped her arms around Angel’s waist and smiled up at her Mom’s shocked expression, and then at Angel’s satisfied look as he wrapped his arms back around her. “Mom, what little Riley and I had is over. I told him as much tonight, and then he left. End of story.”

Shocked at what she was seeing, Joyce replied, “Well, I knew you and Riley were probably over, but I’m still a little confused.” Staring Angel down, Joyce faced off with him. “Don’t you think you’re a little old for my daughter?”

Realizing his next comment could forever alter his life, Angel smiled sincerely into Joyce’s eyes. He had known Joyce for 15 yrs, and he knew she had always liked him. But that’s not the same as liking him dating her daughter. “Mrs. Summers, no, I don’t. Buffy is only 7 years younger than I am, and she just graduated from college. Plus there’s the fact that she’s the sweetest, most beautiful woman I have ever known. So if you have a problem with this, I would suggest we talk about it at a later. Tonight is Buffy’s big night, and I intend to make sure it’s special.”

Not sure whether to be angry or thrilled, Joyce again looked at Angel and her daughter. They seemed right together, a really handsome couple. But he was just too old, she thought. Opening her mouth to again voice her objections, she squealed when a hand snuck around her waist. Turning around to face her attacker, she laughed. Smacking him on the arm, she chided, “Giles, don’t do that. I’m too old for those kind of shocks.”

Angel’s eyebrows rose as he noticed the interaction between Giles and Joyce. Looking at Buffy, he wagged his eyebrows to let her know what he was thinking. Buffy returned his look, slightly shaking her head in denial, shocked at the suggestion. Her mother and Giles? No, her mother didn’t do those kinds of things anymore. Or did she?

“So, Joyce, what seems to be the problem?” Giles asked, lacing both his arms around her waist.

Feeling uncomfortable, Joyce tried to nonchalantly pull out of his grasp but he was having none of it. Giving Angel a wink, Giles reached down and nuzzled her neck. “Rupert, please, I need to talk to my daughter and Angel. We, uh, are having an important discussion.”

Giles pulled back a little, and asked her, “Like what? I think they make a cute couple.”

“But he’s too old for her!” Joyce objected.

Rolling his eyes, Giles smirked, “Oh, bloody hell, Joyce, they’re both adults. Responsible adults, at that. What more could you possibly want for her? Angel is a responsible, caring man. I just don’t see the problem.”

“You wouldn’t. You’ve never been a father.”

Pulling back, Giles stared into Joyce’s eyes, the pain evident in his gaze. Responding only loud enough that she could hear, he growled, “That wasn’t my choice, if you remember. You made that decision for me.” With one last look, Giles smiled regretfully at Angel and Buffy, and turned on his heel to leave. As they watched him walk away, tears began to form in Joyce’s eyes.

Stunned, Joyce stared at her daughter and Angel, seeing the confused looks on their faces. She had done it again. She had hurt him. Rupert was going to leave, and it was all her fault, again. Damn, she was so bad at this relationship thing. “I have to go find him. Buffy, Angel, we WILL talk about this, but I have to find Rupert.”

Reaching up and giving her a hug, Buffy whispered in her ear, “Yes, Mom, I think you do. Go on, we’ll be fine. And we will talk, all of us, later. Cause I have some questions of my own.”

As Joyce ran off in search of Giles, Buffy looked up questioningly into Angel’s face. “What in the world do you think that was all about?”

Shrugging his shoulders, he was just as confused as she. “I have no idea, but I can’t wait to find out. Looks like your Mom and Giles were a little more than friends, doesn’t it?”

~

Joyce quickly followed the direction that Giles had taken, noticing that he had walked out the door. Afraid she wouldn’t catch him before he left, she hurried even more. Exiting the building, she saw him standing at the curb, getting ready to cross the street to his car.

Running up to him, she grabbed him by the arm. “Rupert, please, don’t go,” she begged, turning him to face her.

Looking at her, Giles just shook his head. “Why in heavens name not? You have made it perfectly clear tonight - hell, for the past 20 years - that you do not want me here. So why should I stay where I’m not wanted?” Getting no response but her bowed head, he began to get angry. He turned toward her and grabbed her by the arms. With a slight shake, he asked again. “Give me a reason, damn it, to stay. After all these years, just give me one bloody good reason.”

Joyce was crying now. Looking up into his eyes, she sobbed, “Because I love you. I’ve always loved you. And I don’t think I could stand to see you walk away again.”

Slowly moving his hands up her arms, he gently grasped her face, placing a soft kiss against her tear drenched mouth. Pulling back to stare into her eyes, he smiled at her. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it? I’ve been waiting for what seems like forever to hear you say those exact words. And for the record, I never walked away, unless you asked me too.”

Smiling back through her tears, she laughed. “Yes, it was hard. It’s always been hard for me to admit that I need anyone. Especially a man.”

“I know, Joyce, just how hard it can be to let someone in. I haven’t been close to anyone, really, since you walked away all the years ago. But I’m willing to give this a shot, if you are.” Giles thumbs gently rubbed her cheeks, wiping away the tears.

“I’d really like that, Rupert.”

Stepping back, he grabbed Joyce by the hand and walked her back to the door of the gallery. “I know you have to stay until the party is over, but I’m going to go back to my hotel. We’ll just take this thing with us slow, if that will make you feel better about it.”

“Yes, I do have to stay. But it should be breaking up pretty soon. Most of the people have already left. So, what do we do now?” Joyce looked at him questioningly.

“That’s completely up to you. Whatever you want to do, I’m willing.” Giles said.

Leaning into him, Joyce grabbed his arm. “If you really want to know,” she looked at him sideways, “I’d like you to give me your room number, and I’ll meet you there in a while.”

Stopping in his tracks, Giles stared at her. “Are you sure? That wasn’t what I was expecting, you know.”

Smiling at him as she walked to the door, she answered, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Sunnydale Hilton, room 456. About two hours tops, unless I can get these people to leave sooner.”

Turning around to watch him walk to his car, she smiled as he looked at her and pointed at his watch, reminding her that time was wasting. Sighing, she was turning around to go back into the gallery when she heard the squealing of tires and the grinding of breaks. She quickly turned around, just in time to see Giles go flying over the top of the sedan that had just hit him.

Joyce stood there in shock. *NO*! The word kept echoing through her brain. If felt like she just stood there for hours, but it was actually only seconds. Finally getting a grip on herself, she ran as fast as she could, screaming his name. “RUPERT”!!! As she quickly approached him, she threw herself onto the street, leaning over his unconscious form. “Rupert, please, wake up. Darling, please. Oh, God, don’t do this. SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE!” she screamed.

Buffy, Angel and the gang were sitting around their table, talking and laughing, when one of the guests ran in and screamed for someone to call an ambulance. Looking at Angel, Buffy gasped, “Mom!” and took off toward the front door of the gallery. Glancing quickly at Willow, Angel yelled for her to call 911 as he ran to follow.

As they both exited the building, the first thing they saw was Buffy’s mom, perched over a prone body in the street. Recognizing him even from a distance, it was Angel’s turn to gasp. “Giles!” He ran toward Joyce and bent down staring at his friend’s face. “Giles, are you alright?” Not getting a response, he looked at Joyce. “Willow is calling an ambulance. What the hell happened?” Buffy caught up with him about that time, and kneeled down to wrap her arms around her mother.

“Yes, Joyce. We have to believe that. What about the driver? Is he okay?” Angel asked.

“Oh, the driver. I-I don’t know. I haven’t even looked.” Joyce sing-songed, continuing to hold Giles’ hand. “Mom,” Buffy finally spoke, “he’s going to be fine, but Angel and I need to check on the driver.” Looking back at the car, Buffy couldn’t help but think the car looked familiar. “Angel, I think I recognize this car. Oh, no, it can’t be.”

Running to the driver’s seat, Buffy could see a man passed out, laying face down draped over the passenger seat. Angel was right behind her, and helped her open the door that was buckled from the front-end damage. “Please, God,” Buffy said, “don’t let this be who I think it is.” Angel gave her a questioning look, as he leaned in to see if the man was at least breathing. “Well, whoever he is, Buffy, he reeks of alcohol. But at least he’s alive.” About that time, the unknown driver began to stir.

Turning to face them, he pushed himself up slightly and said, “What the hell happened?”

In unison, Buffy and Angel glared at the man and sneered, “Riley!”

Angel leaned back into the car and asked Riley if he was hurt. “My head hurts a little, but I don’t think anything’s broken. Man, look at my car. Who did this to it?”

Angel was beside himself with anger. Reaching in, he helped Riley sit up all the way. “Are you sure you aren’t hurt?”

Feeling better now that he was sitting up, he replied, “Yeah, I’m okay.”

“I can’t tell you how glad I am to here that.” Snatching Riley from the car, Angel threw him up against the side of it and grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket, going nose to nose with him. “You miserable, drunken son of a bitch. You hit someone, and not only that, you hit someone who I care about.”

“Angel, stop!” Buffy cried, placing her hand on his arm, trying to get him under control. “Killing him won’t do Giles any good. We’ll let the cops take care of him.”

Stepping away from him, Angel could hear the ambulance rounding the corner. “You’re right, Buffy. Killing him won’t help Giles. But it sure would make me feel better.” Turning around to walk away, Angel couldn’t help himself. He turned back and punched Riley in the jaw. “That wasn’t for running over Giles. That was for hitting Buffy. You ever come near her again, and I will kill you. That’s not a threat, it’s a promise.”

Grabbing a stunned Buffy by the arm, he walked with her back to the ambulance.

~

Three hours later, Buffy, Joyce, and Angel walked into the Summers’ house, stress and exhaustion evident on their faces. Setting her purse down, Joyce turned to the two younger ones and asked, “Anyone want a decent cup of coffee? That hospital stuff was awful.” Sighing, they both agreed. “Sounds good, Mom. I don’t think I could sleep if I tried. And the hospital did say they’d call if anything changed.” Buffy said.

Walking into the kitchen, Joyce began the preparations for coffee, while Angel and Buffy plopped down on stools around the island. Buffy looked at her mom, noticing her precise, unemotional movements. Standing up, she went to her and wrapped her arms around her. “Mom, you need to go sit down. I’ll make the coffee.” Shaking her head, Joyce pulled back, “No, Buffy, I need to keep busy. It helps, you know.”

“No, you don’t, Mom.” Placing her hands on her Mom’s shoulders, Buffy forcibly escorted her to the seat next to Angel. “You’ve had a really long night, and you need to sit down and relax. I’ll make the coffee.” Angel nodded in agreement. “She’s right Joyce. No offense, but you look like a strong wind would blow you over.”

Smiling at them both, Joyce was too emotionally worn out to argue. “Okay, I give up. You make the coffee, and I’ll let you wait on me hand and foot.”

“Anyone hungry?” Buffy asked, as she finished filling the coffee pot and hit the on button.

“That’s a good idea. Buffy, why don’t you get the sweet rolls out. That sounds good.” Joyce offered. Angel nodded in agreement, shrugging his shoulders. “Come to think of, I can’t remember the last time I ate anything. Feels like hours though.” He commented.

As they all sat down at the table, each one with a cup of coffee and a warm roll in front of them, silence ensued. Wanting to break the uncomfortable silence, Buffy asked, “So, Mom, how long have you known Giles?”

Joyce knew these questions were inevitable. After everything that had happened tonight, it was pretty obvious to anyone who was there that she and Rupert were more than just friends. Even if she had been trying to convince herself otherwise for a long time. “Buffy, Rupert and I met a long time ago, right after I got out of college. I was already married to your father by then.”

Angel sat in silence, afraid that any comment he made would somehow make Joyce think he was judging her. He didn’t approve of extramarital affairs, but he also knew that Joyce and Hank’s marriage was far from happy.

Sighing, Joyce rubbed her eyes. “Yes, Buffy, I can see those wheels turning in your head. I was technically a married woman. But it wasn’t quite what you think. There are things that happened, before you were even born, that I never told you about. Things that I’m not even sure I want to tell you about now.”

Buffy reached over and clasped her Mom’s hand in hers. “It’s okay, Mom. If you don’t want to tell me, I understand.”

Standing up, Angel cleared his throat, trying to gain the women’s attention. As they both turned to look at him, he stated, “Mrs. Summers, I think it would be better if I go. This seems kind of personal, and I don’t want to intrude.”

As Angel sat down, Joyce continued. “Your father and I,” she said, looking deep into her daughters’ eyes, “were not really happy from the time we got married. So, after about a year, we separated.” She stopped at this statement, trying to gage her daughters’ reaction. Seeing none, she kept going. “That’s when I met Rupert. Well, I guess not officially. I was working at a little museum in a small town outside of LA, and he was one of the patrons, so I’d seen him around. Even before Hank and I split up, he used to come in at least once a week. But once I took off my wedding ring, he approached me and we began talking. Before I knew it, we were having coffee, and then dinner the next time, and, well, one thing led to another. But it wasn’t just sex, Buffy. He truly cared for me, and I knew then that I had never really loved Hank. Not if Rupert could make me feel the way he did. I was, for the first and only time in my life, truly in love. It was the happiest three months of my life.” Tears were gently sliding down her face, in complete contrast with the smile that graced her lips.

Reaching over to hug her mother, Buffy wiped the beginnings of tears from her own eyes. Looking at Angel, she smiled at him, noticing even his eyes appeared to a little moist. “Well, Mom, if you were so happy, what went wrong?”

Gasping, Buffy literally flinched at this statement. “Mom, are you trying to say that Giles is really my father?”

“No, honey, no. Hank is your father.” Joyce leaned over and hugged her daughter, trying to reassure her, while Angel sat there in stunned silence. “Back then, we didn’t have kits you could go buy that would tell you when you were 1 day pregnant. And since I was never very regular, I was already three and a half months pregnant before I knew. Which meant that Hank was your father, since Rupert and I had only been intimate for a couple of months.”

“So, because of me, you went back to Dad. Gee, thanks for the guilt trip, Mom.” Buffy sniped, and began pacing the kitchen floor. Angel grabbed her arm gently, “Buffy, honey, I’m sure that’s not what your mom meant. Sit down, and let her explain.” At least he hoped that wasn’t what she meant. He’d never known Joyce to show anything but love for her daughter.

“Buffy Anne Summers, you know that isn’t what I intended. Angel is right. Sit back down and let me finish.” Feeling a little guilty for having upset her Mom after the night she’d had, Buffy for once, didn’t argue.

Now that her daughter had calmed down, Joyce went on with her story. “Yes, Buffy, I went back to Hank because I was pregnant. But it wasn’t because of you - it was because of me. I still cared for Hank, and I just couldn’t bring myself to deprive him of his child. So, I did what I thought was right. In hindsight, maybe it wasn’t for the best, but at the time, that’s what I thought.”

“But, Mom, what about Giles? How did he take it?” Buffy asked.

“Oh, he was furious. He went so far as to offer to be your father. He told me that he loved me, and therefore, he would love you. But I just couldn’t bring myself to do that to Hank or to Rupert. And I really did think Hank would be a good father. And he was, at first. But as things got worse