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		Title: Sibling Rivalry Chapter#: (1-10/20) Author Name: Spike's Slayer Vixen Author Email: sara_pridmore@yahoo.com Disclaimer: As much as I would like to take credit for them, I don't own any of the BTVS or Ats characters. Summary: This fic is an answer to a challenge from Jay. Angelus Harris (25) and his younger brother Alexander (a.k.a. Xander, 17) just moved to L.A. with their family. Their father is in the military so they move around a lot. Now it seems L.A. might be the new and also permanent home for the Harris family. Alexander immediately starts his senior year at his new school, Hemery High, guess who he meets. Yup he meets a beautiful, popular, and smart 17-year-old girl named Buffy Ann Summers. He immediately falls for the princess of Hemery. Though will she feel the same for him? And If she does, what happens when she meets his sexy, older brother?.... Pairings: B/X for now will be B/A Category: Drama Spoilers: Buffy and Riley are twins. Angelus is tall, dark, mysterious, and kind of a playboy, and he and Xander don't get along most of the time. Rating: hard R for language Author's comments: This is dedicated to Jay. I love doing your challenges, girl! Feedback: Yes, please! :x *Thump*. "Oh thank God," Alexander Harris cried out when he dropped the last box of his stuff in the floor of his new bedroom. "I thought I was never gonna get all of this junk up here. What a nightmare! I am never *ever* moving again, so help me god!" He flopped down on his mattress, which laid in the middle of the floor with every other possession he had. His older brother, Angelus, popped his head into the door, rolling his eyes at his brother's laziness. "You know, if you threw away half of that crap, you would be a lot better off." "Are you crazy? I *need* this stuff, man!" Xander, as his big brother affectionately called him, protested. Angelus stepped into the room with a look of pure disgust on his handsome face. "Oh yeah? And what exactly do you need *this* for?" he asked, holding up an old, tattered sweatshirt that looked like it had been ran over...several times. "Are you kidding me? That is my favorite sweatshirt. It took me *years* to break that in." "Uh, yeah," Angelus said, wrinkling his nose in distaste as he tossed the offensive garment aside. "So sorry that not everyone can be as well groomed and clean cut as you," Xander said sarcastically. "Let's just take a look at you for a moment. If you threw away all of those girlie posters and all of those pictures of your exes, we would need to buy at least two more garbage cans to hold it all, *Angel*." Xander snickered at the look on Angelus' face when he called him by his nickname. There was *nothing* angelic about his brother, but all of the girls called him by it anyway. "Yeah, well, don't forget about my collection of panties," he said with a smirk. Okay, so he was a little bit of a playboy. He just didn't want a commitment was all. Now what was so wrong with that? He couldn't help it that the majority of the female population insisted on throwing themselves at him. Wasn't *his* fault. As long as he was bedding all of these hotties, he figured he might as well keep something for a souvenir. He had a whole collection of panties by now, in an assortment of colors and styles. His favorites were the thongs, though. Delectable. "How could forget your panty collection?" Xander said in an annoyed voice. "I mean, if you want to prance around in women's underwear, that's really your business, but I wouldn't go around broadcasting it everywhere." Angel narrowed his eyes at Xander. "You are just jealous because I've had more pussy than you will ever have in your whole life." Xander smirked at him. "Oh yeah, I'm really jealous of the women you've had. All you go for are complete slut bombs. Bet you are in withdrawal already. Why don't you go give Darla a call and see if she won't mosey on down here and give you a go? You know, if she can fit you into her busy schedule. If you can't reach her at home, I recommend trying underneath the bleachers, 'cause that's where she spends the majority of her time...flat on her back." "Let's not talk about Darla," Angel said, shifting uncomfortably. He still got hard just thinking about her. She had been one of his favorites. She was such a dirty little whore. Once he fucked her on the hood of his car in the middle of the school parking lot during a football game. "What's a matter? Afraid you won't have enough time to go jack off in your room before mom and dad get back?" "You little prick, I'm gonna rip your head off," Angel roared in fury. He lunged at him, tackling his brother back onto the mattress. "Get the fuck off of me!" Xander whined, trying in vain to shield himself from Angel's blows. "Boys, cut it out right now!" a stern masculine voice said from the hallway. The boys looked up to see their dad standing in the hallway and froze. Their father was in the military and did not stand for horseplay in *his* house. "Yes, sir!" they both said in unison. "Guess they are back," Xander added under his breath. They watched as their father walked down the hall mumbling something about boys being boys, finally breathing a sigh of relief when he was out of earshot. As Angel was climbing to his feet, Xander looked at him thoughtfully. "You know, Angel, one of these days you are going to meet a woman who is gonna just blow your mind away, and you are gonna be sorry that you screwed everything that would stand still long enough to shove your dick in. You'll be sorry that you are all used up and can't offer her anything pure." Angel just shook his head and smiled. "Thanks for the advice, Xand, but you have a lot to learn." ******************************************************* The next day, Xander stood on the steps of Hemery High in a complete daze. This place was *so* much bigger than his last school. He vaguely wondered how he was ever going to find the main office, let alone the bathroom, cafeteria, or homeroom. "Great, just great," he mumbled to himself. "Well, here goes nothing." He took a deep breath and then began pushing his way through the throng of high schoolers congregated on the stairs. He had just about made it through the crowd and to the big set of double doors that led inside the school when he felt himself trip over something. He went flying through the air, landing right on his face. Mortified, he managed to get himself to his feet quickly, hoping no one saw his act of clumsiness. He took a quick look around to see what he had tripped on and his eyes came to rest upon a blonde girl who was sprawled across the pavement, surrounded by a pile of scattered books. Oh, no. Please, please, *please* tell me I didn't just... "Way to go there, you big spaz," a bitchy brunette called from where she stood glaring at him. He couldn't help but notice that she didn't make a move to help the little blonde up. "Yeah, for real. Walk much?" snapped another brunette, this one dressed a bit on the trashy side. "I'm really, really sorry," Xander said quickly. "I-I didn't even see you there-" He walked over immediately to help the little blonde up. "Well maybe you should look where you are going next time," a well- built African American guy said, giving Xander a dirty look. "Hey, guys, ease up on him a little bit, okay?" the little blonde said with a laugh. She took his hand and let him pull her up, giving him a bright smile. "Hi, I'm Buffy Summers. Don't let these guys bother you. They are just looking out for me." It was then that Xander realized that the girl he just plowed over was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen his entire life. "I'm Xander Harris. I-I really am sorry," he choked out, his face turning a fiery red. "Don't worry about it," she said, waving off his apology. "You didn't see me because I was bent over tying my shoe. It's no big, really." She looked at him more closely. "Xander Harris, huh? You must be new here, huh?" "Uh, yeah," he said. "My family just moved here." "Oh, well that's cool," Buffy said conversationally. "Well, since you are new here and since they *did* practically threaten your life, let me introduce you to my friends." She pointed to the first brunette that had spoken to him. "That is Cordelia Chase, and the blonde beside her is Anya Jenkins. The girl over there in all the leather is Faith Evans. That handsome blonde guy over there happens to be my twin brother, Riley, and the fine young man beside him is his good friend, Charles Gunn. The guy with the multicolored hair is Oz. He's an awesome musician. So, this is everybody," she said with a big flourish of her arms. "Everybody, this is Xander." They all just kind of glared at him, except for Riley who stuck out his hand. "Hey, man, good to meet you," Riley said with a big smile. Xander took his hand and shook it firmly. "So why don't I show you around a little, you know, help you learn the ropes?" Xander smiled in relief. "That would be really great." ******************************************************* Buffy sat in the kitchen after school, flipping through some random teenage magazine. Her mind kept drifting back to Xander. She really felt bad that her friends had been so cold to the poor boy. It was hard being the new kid. She had gone through it herself in junior high. Fortunately for her, she was accepted almost immediately. Now she was one of the most popular girls in the whole school. She was really glad that her equally popular twin brother had decided to take Xander under his wing. She was startled out of her thoughts when the door swung open and the two boys strode into the kitchen, talking and laughing together. "Hey there, Buffonia," Riley said, reaching over and ruffling her hair affectionately. "Don't call me that," she groused, but she couldn't help but smile. She loved her brother so much, only he could get away with calling her that stupid name. She turned her attention to Xander, who stood there shyly staring at the floor. "So, Xand, how was your first day?" "It was okay, I guess. You know, for school and all," he said. He was amazed at how easy it was to talk to her. It seemed like he had known her forever. And the way she called him Xand...it just seemed so natural coming from her lips. "Well, I'm glad that you decided to come over," Buffy said with a warm smile. "It gets lonely here sometimes with just us and our Uncle Wesley in this big, fancy house all by ourselves. It's good to have company. You see, our parents died when we were ten and left us with this house, and poor Uncle Wes with custody of us." "I'm very sorry to hear about your parents," Xander said solemnly. "I didn't know." "It's alright," she said, waving off his apology as if it was no big deal. "We've had time to learn to cope with it. So, Xand, tell me a little about yourself." "Come on, Buffy, leave him alone. He doesn't feel like going through his whole history with you. He has probably been asked that same question a million times today," Riley scolded her gently. "No, it's okay. Really," Xander said quickly. "Yeah, Riley, he doesn't mind," Buffy said, narrowing her eyes at her brother. "By the way, Anya called and said that she had to talk to you about your date tonight. She wanted me to have you call her when you got in, so why don't you scamper off and do that, hmm?" Riley gave her a dirty look but slapped Xander on the back and headed towards the living room. "I'll be right back, man. Gotta call the girlfriend. Don't let my little sister talk your ear off." "Little?" Buffy huffed at his retreating back. "I'm two minutes older than you!" She slammed her hand down on the table in frustration, causing Xander to jump a little. "Sorry about that," she said, giving him an apologetic look. "It's just that my brother can get under my skin better than any person I've ever met." "I know what you mean. Brothers are like that sometimes," Xander said politely. "So you have a brother?" Buffy asked curiously. "Yeah, he's five years older than me. His name is Angelus. He's a senior at the local community college. It's been hard on him because we've had to move around so much. He has had to take a lot of summer classes because some of his credits wouldn't transfer to different schools. See, my dad is in the military, so we move around *a lot*. It kinda sucks, but it looks like maybe this time we are gonna stay." "Well, that's good to hear," Buffy said. "I think you'll find that LA is a pretty cool place to live, and the people are really nice. I think that if you give it a chance, you'll like it here." As Xander listened to the sweet sound of her voice and drunk in her beauty, he thought to himself that there was at least one thing he liked here already. Buffy. ******************************************************* As the weeks went by, Xander became a fixture at the Summers' house. It became like a second home to him, a sanctuary from the hell that was his own home. Riley and he became the best of friends, spending almost all of their time together. Even the rest of the gang warmed up to him a little, even if it was just because Buffy and Riley had befriended him. The more time Xander spent around Buffy, the more he grew to like her...*really* like her. She made him feel like no other girl ever had in his whole life. The only problem was that he didn't know whether or not she felt the same way about him. One day after school, Xander finally found the courage to approach Riley about the subject. "You know, Riley, I'm really glad that I met you and Buffy. You are a great friend, my man. And your sister...well, she is something else. I really like her a lot. She's really sweet, you know? And kind, too. She's not at all stuck up like some of the other girls we go to school with. She-" "Um, I hate to interrupt your Ode to Buffy, Xand, but I have to ask you a question," Riley said, interrupting Xander's rambling. "This is probably a stupid question, but I have found that just assuming something isn't always the best approach, so I'm just gonna ask. Do you like my sister? I mean, are you into her?" Xander didn't quite know what to say. Finally, he decided that the truth was the best way to go. After all, Riley was his best friend. And the big bonus? He was her brother, her twin. He would know whether or not he should go for it with her or if he was just wasting his time. "Yeah, I do, Ri, I really do. I mean, I hope that my liking your sister doesn't piss you off or anything. I want you to know that I have nothing but the best of intentions." Riley smiled broadly at him. "I know you do, Xand. You are a really great guy. There is nobody that I would trust with my sister more than you. I think you two would be great together actually." Xander breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't known how well Riley would take the news that he was jonesin' on his sister. So far so good. "The only problem is that I don't know how Buffy feels about me." "I think that she likes you, too," Riley informed him. "See, Buffy maybe really popular and outgoing, but when it comes to guys and romance, she is really shy. She's never really had a steady boyfriend for just that reason, but she seems really comfortable around you. I think she trusts you more than most of the guys she knows, and that is a big plus. If you want my advice, Xand, I think you should go for it. Ask her out to a movie or something. She needs a good guy in her life other than her twin brother. I see the way that she looks at Anya and me, at Gunn and Cordelia, and even at Faith and her plethora of men. She tried really hard to hide it, but there she gets this really sad, wistful look in her eyes when she is around couples. She needs someone, too." "You really think she'll say yes?" Xander asked nervously. "Well, there is only one way to find out," Riley said, grinning at his friend. "I'm going to Anya's house right now, but I know that Buffy is home. Why don't you go talk to her? Ask her to the movies or something." "Alright, I will!" Xander said excitedly. "Thanks, Ri. I'll see you later." He gave a small little wave to his friend as they parted and went their separate ways. All the way over to the Summers' house, he rehearsed what he was going to say to her over and over in his head. Unfortunately, the minute he stepped foot into the house, his mind went completely blank. He walked slowly into the kitchen, finding her sitting in her usual place, perched on a stool at the bar. When she noticed his presence, she looked up and smiled. "Hey, Xand! What's up?" "Uh, nothing really," he said lamely. "Listen, Buffy, there is something that I have been meaning to talk to you about. I need to ask you something." She looked at him in interest, flipping her magazine shut and giving him her full attention. "Well, sure. Why don't you sit down," she said, gesturing to a stool opposite of her. As soon as he sat down, she said, "Okay, so what's on your mind?" Suddenly, his mouth was very dry, like he had cotton stuffed in it or something. He licked his lips nervously, drawing in a deep breath. Just do it, Harris, he told himself. "Well, Buffy, I really like you a lot. I think you are a really great girl, and I was wondering...would you like to go out with me sometime? The little theater over on Oak Street is playing "American Pie" this weekend. I know that it's kind of old and everything, but Riley said that it was one of your favorites." Buffy looked at him in surprise. Xander Harris was asking her out? She thought about it for a moment, weighing her options. She liked Xander and everything, but this was really unexpected. She had came to think of him as a brother or something. How weird would it be to go on a date with him? But then again, it wasn't like he was asking her to marry him or anything. It was just a date, and she hadn't been on one is long. What could it hurt? She smiled at him sweetly. "Sure, Xand. I would love to go out with you this weekend. Pick me up at seven." Chapter 2 "So what essentially is Shakespeare trying to say here with this quote? 'What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.' Can anyone tell me what this means? Anyone?" Ms. Malloy asked. "Xander? Can you tell us?" Xander was jolted awake by the sound of someone calling his name. His eyes flew open and his head snapped up when realized that he must have fallen asleep in Lit class again. He quickly used his shirt sleeve to wipe away the drool as he tried desperately to remember what they had been talking about. "Um...uh...could you repeat the question?" he asked weakly. Ms. Malloy sighed heavily. "Mr. Harris, could you please possibly at least *attempt* to stay awake for this class? This is the third time this week." She gave him a stern look and then continued on with her lecture. Xander slumped low into his seat, his face bright red as everyone looked his way and snickered. He made a conscious effort to try to concentrate on Shakespeare for the rest of class, but his mind kept drifting back to his dream. He had dreamed of the same thing he dreamed about every single night...Buffy. They had been going out now for two and a half months, and he couldn't have been happier. He was dating the most popular, most beautiful girl in school. He had never thought it was possible, but he was not one of those guys. He was the guy that every other guy wanted to be, the guy that every girl wanted to be with, all because he had Buffy on his arm. As soon as the bell rang, he bolted from his seat and raced to his locker. Over these last couple of months, Xander had not once invited Buffy to his house. It wasn't that he was ashamed of her...he just didn't want to subject her to having to spend time around his obnoxious family. Well, tonight he was in luck his parents were away for the weekend and his brother had gone to New York on some kind of trip to buy art or something and wouldn't be back until late tomorrow. Angel worked at an art gallery when he wasn't going to school and the owner had asked him to go to New York and pick up some pieces for some big exhibit they were having next week. Xander hadn't really been interested in the details. All he needed to know was that he was going to have the whole house to himself tonight and at least part of tomorrow, and that Buffy had agreed to come over for movies and pizza. He went straight home after he had chunked his books into his locker to clean up the house and shower before she got there. He had already rented some movies, which were currently stacked neatly on top of the television. She was supposed to come over at seven, so he decided he would call and order the pizza about six thirty. He spent an hour and a half making sure that the house was absolutely spotless before hurrying upstairs to shower and change. He was so excited about tonight that he could hardly stand it. He had even gone through the trouble of renting Buffy's favorite movies, even though most of them were chick flicks. Xander must have changed five different times before he settled on his one of his favorite shirts and a pair of khakis. He spritzed on some of the cologne that Buffy had given him for his birthday and checked his hair one last time. He wasn't exactly good at fixing his hair, so usually he relied on a baseball cap, but tonight he had stolen a tube of Angel's hair gel and did the best he could with it. Not too bad, he thought to himself. He was no Angel, and he knew he never would be, but he looked...decent. Just then the doorbell rang, cutting his primping session short. He thundered down the stairs, glancing at clock in the hall as he made his way to the door. He frowned as he realized that it was still too early to be Buffy. She wasn't supposed to get there for another hour. He swung the door opened and groaned loudly. No. No! This could *not* be happening to him. Angel pushed past his little brother impatiently, hanging his expensive leather jacket on the coat rack. He tossed his keys down on the hallway table and began sorting through the mail. Xander still stood at the door, staring at his brother in total disbelief. Finally, Angel noticed that his brother was staring at him as if he had a second head or something. "What are you looking at, you little worm?" he asked. "What the hell are you *doing* here?" Xander wailed miserably. "I live here, remember?" Angel said snidely. "And I cut my trip to New York short. I got the pieces I needed yesterday, so there was really no reason to stay. Why? What's your problem?" "The problem is that I am supposed to be having company tonight, and *you* aren't supposed to be here!" Xander said in frustration. Why did this always have to happen to him? Why did his brother always seem to manage to ruin his life? Angel smiled at him slyly. "Oh, I see. "Company" huh? Don't tell me that you actually managed to talk some girl into coming over here," he said in mock disbelief. "You were planning on getting a piece tonight, weren't you?" "No, of course not," Xander said in a flustered voice. He didn't feel like sharing that fact that the thought had actually crossed his mind that maybe tonight he and Buffy might do a little more than just their usual kissing. "I'm not like you, Angel. My main goal in life is *not* to get into a girl's pants as soon as possible so I can just use her and toss her away like yesterday's garbage." "Don't get all self-righteous on me," Angel said, holding his hands up defensively. "It's not like you were gonna actually get any even if I hadn't came home. No girl is *that* desperate." He laughed to himself as what he had just said was the funniest thing he had ever heard while Xander just glared at him. "So who is this girl anyway?" "She's my girlfriend," Xander said proudly. "*You* have a girlfriend?" Angel asked incredulously. "How? When? How?" "Yes, I have a girlfriend," Xander said angrily. "We've been going out two and a half months. She is really beautiful and sweet. Not that you are ever going to know, because you won't be meeting her." "Oh, no. If you think I am going to miss out on seeing the skank that you have deemed your girlfriend, you are crazy!" Angel said. "Look, Angel, I really don't think-" Xander began, but was cut off by the ringing of the doorbell. He looked quickly at the clock, blanching as he realized that more time had passed than he had thought. It was now seven o'clock, and he knew that Buffy was standing on the other side of the door. "Okay, look, you can meet her, but only if you promise not to be rude *and* you promise to leave us alone for the rest of the night," he said quickly. "We'll see," Angel said smugly. "Angel-" Xander said in warning tone. The doorbell rang again. "Are you going to leave her out there all night?" Angel taunted. "Godamn it!" Xander swore, resisting the urge to punch his brother right in his handsome face. He took a deep breath to try to calm himself before he plastered a smile on his face and opened the door. Buffy stood there on his doorstep looking breathtaking in a simple white tank top and a pair of cute little white shorts. Her ensemble was completed by a pair off white canvas tennis shoes and really showed off her golden tan. As soon as he opened the door, she gave him one of h dazzling smiles. "Buffy, hi! Come on in," Xander said with forced cheerfulness. Buffy stepped inside timidly. She was a little nervous about coming to Xander's house, especially since she knew that nobody else was going to be there. That's why she was surprised to see that another guy was there, leaning against the wall casually. He was very handsome with his thick, dark hair and piercing brown eyes. He was tall, with broad shoulders, and it was obvious by the way that his shirt hugged his torso that he worked out. He didn't speak, but just continued to stand there, staring at her. "Um, I'm sorry, Xander, did I get the time wrong? I didn't mean to barge in on you while you have other company," she said shyly. "Other company? You mean him? That's just my brother, Angel," Xander said. "And you are right on time. The pizza should be here soon, and I have a whole stack of movies for us. Angel here was just heading upstairs, weren't you, Angel?" Angel couldn't get over how beautiful the girl was that stood before him. There had to be some kind of mistake. She could *not* be his brother's girlfriend. It wasn't possible. In fact, he found himself speechless. "Well, uh..." he managed to get out. "Oh, don't be silly. There is no reason that he should have to spend all night upstairs," Buffy said. She walked over to stand directly in front of Angel, seemingly not noticing how he towered over her tiny little frame like a mountain. She held out her hand, giving him a friendly smile. "Hi, I'm Buffy. Xander and I planned to watch some movies tonight and have some pizza, and it would be great if you would like to join us." Angel hesitated. He knew that he should say no and give his little brother and the blonde goddess some privacy, but he felt this inexplicable urge to been near her. He hadn't felt this way since his first crush. "Uh, well if it wouldn't be any trouble, I would love a slice or two of pizza." "It's not trouble at all. Right, Xander?" Buffy said merrily. "Yeah...right," Xander mumbled. He felt his heart sink in his chest. Damn his brother! He was never going to have any alone time with her now, and it didn't escape his attention that Angel's eyes seemed to be glued to *his* girlfriend. He shot Angel an angry look, but he knew that Angel never even noticed. He was too busy drooling over Buffy. Dinner was awkward for Xander, but Buffy and Angel didn't seem to notice. They were too involved in a getting to know you session to realize that Xander had barely said two words the whole time. Apparently Buffy's mother had owned an art gallery before her death, and she and Angel found that they had a lot to talk about. She was impressed when she found out that he was majoring in art, and he was impressed by the way her nose wrinkled slightly when she laughed. Finally, dinner was over and Xander began to clean up the kitchen so that he could make popcorn before the movie. "Well, I guess I'm just gonna head upstairs and give you guys some privacy," Angel said, standing up and stretching his long limbs. "By the way, Buffy, I didn't see your car outside. How did you get over here?" "Oh I walked," Buffy informed him. "I don't have a car, so I pretty much walk everywhere." "Well, not tonight you aren't," he said firmly. "When you get ready to leave, just let me know. It would be my honor to drive you home." He gave her a little wave and headed upstairs, whistling an unfamiliar tune. As Buffy helped Xander with the kitchen and the popcorn, her mind drifted back to her encounter with Angel. There was just something about him that was so...so...magnetic. It was hard to believe that Angel and Xander were really brothers. They did have the same dark hair and eyes, but that was where the similarities ended. In a way, she was glad that he had been there. Buffy liked Xander and all, but she had began to realize that her feelings for him were more of the platonic type. She knew Xander didn't feel the same way and feared that tonight he was planning on making some kind of move on her. Surely with his brother there, any notion of doing such a thing was now squelched. After they had cleaned the kitchen, Buffy and Xander settled down together on the couch to watch movies. Buffy sat on the couch stiffly while Xander dimmed the lights and wrapped his arm around her, but as the movie progressed she began to relax a bit. By the time the first movie was over and the second one was beginning, she had forgotten all about the awkwardness from before. That is until about half way through the second movie, when Xander began to kiss the side of her neck. She tried to ignore him, hoping that he would take the hint and stop but he remained persistent. He moved up to her lips, shoving his tongue into her mouth as he shifted around to face her on the couch. He gently pushed her back, moving over her as his hands began a tentative exploration of her body. At first, he just fondled her through her clothes, squeezing her breasts gently. Gradually, he grew more confident and snaked his hand under her shirt. She stiffened as she felt him unfasten her bra, but when he slid his hand down the front of her pants, she pushed him off of her gently but firmly. "Xander, we have to stop, okay? I'm not ready for this," she said softly. Xander looked at her with hurt in his eyes. "What did I do wrong?" he asked her in confusion and embarrassment. "You didn't do anything...wrong...it's just that I'm not ready to take this step with you," she said, straightening her clothes. "Listen, Xander, I really like you a lot. You are one of the sweetest guys I know, but it's obvious to me that your feelings for me are different than my feelings for you. I think you're great, Xand, but I've come to realize that I see you more as a friend or a brother than a boyfriend or a lover. I'm really sorry," she said softly. Xander felt like he was going to throw up. He couldn't have been more stunned if she had slapped him across the face. Actually, he had kind of expected a slap, but certainly not this. "You are breaking up with me?" he asked in a tearful voice. "I'm sorry, but yes," Buffy said, staring down at her hands. Xander fought to keep his tears from falling as he looked away from her. "I-I think you should go now," he said quietly. "Angel will take you home." "Xander, I hope we can still be friends," Buffy said sadly, putting a hand on his arm. "Buffy, I can't do this right now, okay? Please," he said, standing up abruptly and striding out of the room. She was left sitting there all alone on the couch, feeling like the most horrible person in the world. All of this took place with Angel watching quietly from upstairs, hidden in the darkness. When he saw her stand to head upstairs, he hurried to his bedroom, shutting the door quietly and flopping down onto his bed. He grabbed one of his textbooks from the floor and flipped it open to a random page, pretending to study it intently. A few moments later, he heard a soft knock on his door. "Come in," he said casually. When Buffy opened the door quietly, he pretended to be surprised. "Buffy! What's wrong? You look like you're upset about something." "I-I'm sorry," she blurted, starting to back out of the room. "I didn't mean to interrupt your studying." "Don't be silly," he said, shutting his book and sitting up. "Are you alright? Do you need me to take you home?" She nodded her head slightly. "Yeah, if you don't mind." "Not at all," he assured her. "Just let me grab my jacket." "So what were you studying?" she asked him. "Oh, I was just reading a chapter in my book about-" He glanced over quickly at the book. "Art history." "Oh, well that must be very interesting," she said. "So tell me...do you usually read a book upside down?" She arched an eyebrow at him, looking over pointedly at the book. He groaned, realizing that she knew something must have been up. How could he have been stupid enough to hold his book upside down? Slick, Angel, *real* slick, he thought to himself. She flashed him a quick smile to let him know that she was just messing around, and he found himself smiling back. He would kick himself for his stupid mistake later. Right now, he was just going to concentrate on being this close to Buffy...Buffy...what was her last name again? Oh well, it didn't matter. He would find out later. He intended on finding out every little detail about the petite blonde beside him. He waited until they were in the car and backing down the driveway before he brought up the subject of his brother. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what happened in there anyway? Was my little brother being a jerk?" "No, it was nothing like that," she said quickly. "I guess I might as well tell you now because you are going to find out about it later. I broke up with Xander. If you want me to get out of your car now, I understand." He slammed on the breaks and looked at her solemnly. "Get out," he said. She looked at him wide eyed before reaching for the door handle. She froze when he reached out his hand to prevent her from opening the door and getting out. "Buffy, I'm just kidding," he said, chuckling lightly. "What happens between you and my brother has nothing to do with us being friends, right? At least I hope that you see me as a possible friend," he said. He began driving again, but he didn't take his eyes off of her for more than a few seconds at a time. Buffy let out a nervous little laugh. "You know, I could definitely see us being friends. I don't want you to think that I have anything against your brother. It's just that I think of him as more of a friend, you know? The chemistry just isn't right. There's no spark." "You have to have that spark," Angel said seriously, thinking about the little jolt of electricity that had shot through him when he had taken her hand away from the door handle. "I'm glad you understand," Buffy said. "I just hope he does. I would really like it if we could still be friends. By the way, that's my house right there," she said, pointing to a huge house on the right. "Wow, nice place," Angel said, impressed. He pulled into the driveway and put his car into park. "Don't worry about my brother, okay? I'm sure that he will come around and if he doesn't than he's an idiot." She gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Angel. I'm really glad that I got a chance to meet you." She leaned over and gave him an impulsive kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for the ride. See you later," she said, climbing out of the car. Oh my god, I can't believe I just kissed him, she thought to herself. "No problem. Take care," Angel said, resisting the urge to reach up and touch the spot on his face where she had kissed him. She slammed the door and gave a little wave before walking up the driveway and unlocking the door. He waited until she had went inside and closed the door behind her before backing back down the driveway. Sparks, he thought, giving in and running his fingers lightly over the place where she had kissed him. Definite sparks. Buffy leaned against the door, closing her eyes as she thought about everything that had taken place that night. When Angel had taken her hand in his, she had been amazed at how small her hand seemed compared to his large one. Her skin seemed to tingle at his touch, and when she had leaned over and kissed him...she still couldn't believe she had done that! When her lips had brushed against his skin, she had felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her whole body. Sparks, she though, touching her fingertips to her lips. Definite sparks. Chapter3 The next day, Xander was still in his rooming sulking when he heard a soft knock on the door. He rolled his eyes and buried his head under his pillow, knowing that it could only be one person on the other side of the door. Well, it was either invite him in or he would kick down the door, and the last time, it had taken Xander months to save up the money to buy a new door. "Come in," Xander mumbled, his voice muffled by his pillow. The door opened and Angel walked in. "What do you want?" Xander asked. Angel grabbed the pillow off of Xander's head and tossed it aside. "Hey! What the hell do you think you are doing?" Xander protested. "I am doing you a big favor, you little pussy," Angel snarled at him. "I am going to keep you from making the biggest mistake of your life." "Oh yeah? And what is that?" Xander demanded. He really wasn't in the mood for his brother's biting remarks and barbed comments. "You let Buffy walk out of here last night practically crying her eyes out," Angel said in a heated voice. "Do you know how stupid that is? Okay, so she broke up with you. That doesn't mean you have to be a big baby and cry about it for a week. That doesn't mean that you should just shut her out of your life completely, especially not if you still want to be in her life. Haven't you figured it out yet, Xander? If you can't be her lover, be her friend." Xander stared at him in amazement. "Wait a minute...*you* are telling me to be her friend? This from the man who is known for his love 'em and leave 'em ways? You've never given a shit about any of the women you've been with. You didn't make an effort to stay in their lives or be their friend. Hell, I don't think I've ever even seen you bother with a phone call the next day!" "First of all, those girls were different. They were cheap, you know? All they were to me, or to anyone else with half a brain, were pieces of ass. I believe the correct term would be backdoor floozies. Buffy is different. She is a really nice person, and she genuinely cares about you. Just because she didn't want to be your girlfriend, doesn't mean she doesn't want to be your friend. Look, you and I are two different people, but I'm telling you right now that if I were in your position, I would do anything to keep from losing her completely," Angel told him seriously. Xander just blinked at him blankly. "Who *are* you and what did you do with my brother?" "You know, you'd better watch it. Dad isn't here to stop me from kicking your ass up and down the coastline, you little bitch," Angel spat at him, slapping him across the back of the head. "Ow!" Xander cried, holding the back of his head gingerly. "Prick," he muttered under his breath. "What was that?" Angel asked menacingly. "Nothing. Whew, you know for a moment there, I was afraid that you had somehow developed some civility or something," Xander said sarcastically. Angel just glared at him, preparing to turn and walk out. "Okay, okay," Xander relented. "I guess you are right. Wow, never thought I would say those words. Anyway, oh knowledgeable one, what do you suggest I do?" Angel thought for a moment, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. Finally, a slow grin crept across his face. He had the perfect idea. "Well, I think that you need to send her a peace offering. She felt really badly about the breakup. You need to send her something that helps ease her guilt and lets her know that there are no hard feelings. I think that you need to send her a big bouquet of roses. Let's say...a dozen red roses. No, wait. On second thought, you should send her a mix of red and pink roses. On the card, you could write...well, why don't you just let me handle the card, okay?" "Well, that's a pretty good idea," Xander admitted, "but there is one small problem. I only have, like, five dollars to my name until next week. Somehow I don't think that the roses would be as affective a week from now." Angel sighed at his brother's complete ineptness at romance. "Fine. I'll pay for the damned roses," Angel said with a heavy sigh. Xander looked at him suspiciously. "Why are you doing this for me? Kind of out of character for you, isn't it?" "I'm not doing it for you, you little prick," Angel said coldly. "I'm doing it for her. I like her. I think she is a nice person and I don't want the fact that you are a complete idiot to keep her from coming around. We are both pretty new here, and I don't have many friends. Any more questions, numb nuts?" Xander shook his head, gritting his teeth to keep from blurting out a retort. "Good. I'll go to the florist right now. You don't really need to be there considering you aren't paying for the or anything. I'll just...sign your name," Angel said with a smirk, turning on his heel and walking out of the room. "Great," Xander called after him. Somehow, he had this sneaking suspicion that Angel was up to something. He suddenly felt like he had made a deal with the devil. He was almost positive that Angel was playing one of his little games, and Xander knew that it was a game that he wouldn't win. Angel always won. ******************************************************* Buffy was sitting on the couch ingesting large quantities of chocolate and soda when Riley came downstairs. She had been planted there all day long, staring at the television as if she were in some kind of trance or something. This was *not* his Buffy. His Buffy would have been out running around with her friends or tanning at the beach or something. Riley came around the side of the couch and plopped down beside her. She never even took her eyes off of the television screen. "Come on, Buffonia, what's wrong?" Riley asked in concern. Buffy sighed heavily, turning off the television with the remote. She looked over at Riley with puffy, red eyes. "I-I broke up with Xander last night and he didn't exactly take it well. He wouldn't even talk to me. He just told me that his big brother would drive me home and asked me to leave. Oh, Riley, it was awful," she wailed, throwing herself into his arms. "I think I completely ruined our friendship," she said, sniffling. "Now, Buffy, I'm sure it's not as bad as all of that," Riley said in a comforting tone, patting her on the back. "Xander is a good guy. He'll come around. He was just upset and probably needed some time to himself to deal. You understand that, don't you?" She pulled back from his brotherly embrace for a moment, looking at him with tear filled eyes. "I guess so," she said, still sniffling. "You really think that he'll still want to be friends, though?" "Buffy, Xander is my best friend. I'm telling you right now, he's not going to just break off his friendship with you because you broke up with him," Riley said soothingly. Just then, the doorbell rang throughout the house. "I'll get it," she said, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand. "If I don't get off of this couch soon, I'm going to grow roots." She shuffled into the hallway and made her way to the front door. She flung it open to find a delivery guy from the florist standing on her front door step with a huge bouquet of red and pink roses. "Riley!" Buffy called over her shoulder. "I think that Anya might have sent you flowers again." Her brother's girlfriend was quite odd at times and was known for sending Riley unusual gifts. "Not unless he goes by Buffy, ma'am," the delivery guy said. "The card says that these are for a Miss Buffy Summers. Is that you?" Buffy looked at him for a moment, stunned beyond words. Finally, she regained her senses and nodded her head slowly. "Uh, yeah, that's me," she said numbly. She took the flowers from the delivery guy, who was know looking at her as if she might be crazy, and thanked him, shutting the door behind her. She carried them into the kitchen, sitting them down on the table. Riley came bounding in a few seconds later, glancing at the flowers curiously. "Are those for you?" he asked. She nodded slowly. "Well, who are they from?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Guess there is only one way to find out," she said, searching for a card. She finally found in and carefully unsealed the little envelope, pulling out a cream colored card. There was a message, written in perfect script. She read it silently to herself. "Buffy, For you a small token, though they could never match your beauty. Pink roses to represent your grace, beauty, and delicate femininity, as well as my affection for you. Red roses to represent...well, I think you can figure it out. All my love, Angel" Red roses? Red was symbolic for love, wasn't it? She reread that part of the card again. 'Red roses to represent...well, I think you can figure it out.' Did that mean...was he trying to say that...he liked her? She sighed happily, holding the card to her chest. "They are from Angel," she informed her brother. Riley gave her a strange look. "Angel? Who is Angel?" "Xander's big brother," she admitted a little sheepishly. "What the hell is Xander's big brother doing sending you a dozen roses?" Riley demanded. "I told you he took me home last night," she said defensively. "I felt really bad for having to put him out like that and so he sent me these flowers to make me feel better," she lied. She looked back down at the card, shielding it from Riley's view. "Oh, wait, there is a P.S." She squinted down at the words, looking at them more closely. "It says 'P.S. Xander says he is sorry for the way he acted last night. He still wants to be friends and would love it if you came over.'" Riley gave her a smile. "See? I told you, nothing to worry about." His expression became more serious as his gaze fell once again onto the roses. "I don't know if I like his older brother sending you flowers, though." "Oh, Riley, stop overreacting, will you?" she scolded him lightly. "It's no big deal. He was just being nice. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go get a shower. I think that I'm going over to Xander's for a swim." She gave him a brief smile before tucking the card safely into her back pocket and floating out of the room and upstairs. ******************************************************* Angel's smile disappeared as soon as he opened the door and saw who was standing on the other side. "What are you doing here?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "What could you possibly want?" "Oh, I think you know what I want, love," Darla purred seductively. "And I think you want the same thing." She stepped forward, snaking her arms around his neck and pulling him to her for a kiss. Angel stepped back, removing Darla's arms from around him roughly. "I'm not interested," he said coldly. He stepped back, prepared to shut the door, but she pushed past him into the house. "Get out," he said icily. "I already told you that I'm not interested." "Oh, lover, you could never resist me," she said, licking her lips seductively. "What is it going to take to get you to leave, Darla?" he asked impatiently. She was the *last* person he wanted to see right now. Two days ago, if she has sauntered up to his door practically dripping for him, he wouldn't have hesitated to take her right there on the doorstep. That was before he met Buffy. Now, she was all he couldn't think about, and he wasn't interested in anyone else. Especially Darla. "Just give me a few minutes," she said, pouting a little. "Out by the pool. I'm sure I can change your mind." "Doubtful, but okay," Angel said reluctantly, leading her out the patio doors to the pool. She noticed that he was wearing swimming trunks already. Apparently, he had been planning on taking a dip before she got here. "I see that you are already dressed for the occasion," she purred, pressing up against him. "So let's go for a swim." Before he had time to protest, she shoved him back into the water. Quickly, stripped herself of all of her clothes but her bra and panties and dove in after him. As soon as she surfaced, she was on him, wrapping her legs around him rightly and pulling him to her for a kiss. He resisted as best as he could, trying to untangle himself from her arms and legs. "Darla, I said no," he told her, trying to push her off of him. "But why?" she asked, snaking a hand between them and squeezing his cock lightly. Despite himself, he felt his cock spring to life in her hand and he drew in a sharp breath. "You know how good I can make you feel. Can you really tell me that you don't want it?" Angel wanted to stop it, he really did. He wanted to tell her to get lost or have the police escort her off of the premises, or hell, even drown the bitch, but he couldn't get his body to cooperate. Darla was very skilled at what she did, and what she did best was seduction and sex. She began kissing and sucking on his neck, occasionally nipping at his flesh with her blunt teeth. She continued caressing his erection the whole time, making him almost whimper in need. He hadn't had sex since they had moved to this godforsaken town, and it had been much too long. Darla smiled at him seductively, knowing she had him right where she wanted him. She slipped his trunks down enough to free his hard member and pulled her panties to the side, positioning him against her opening. "I knew you couldn't resist me, lover," she whispered before sheathing him inside of her heat. For a moment, he lost himself in the sensations, imagining that it was Buffy that he was moving inside. He could even smell the faint whiff of vanilla that seemed to follow her wherever she went. He could even hear her gasp as he thrusted slowly in and out of her. "Oh my god," he heard her say. "Oh my *god*." Suddenly he was jerked out of his fantasy as he realized that it was Darla that he was seated inside and that he hadn't imagined Buffy's voice, but her cries were *not* of ecstasy. He looked over his shoulder and saw her standing there, just outside of the patio doors. Her face was bright red from embarrassment, but he realized with relief that as far as she could tell from her position, all that was going on was a little harmless making out. "I-I'm so sorry," she stuttered, turning quickly to leave. "I-I didn't mean to interrupt." "Fuck!" he said as he watched her run through the patio doors. He pulled out of Darla quickly, pushing her away from him. "When I get back, I want you to be gone or I'm calling the police," he said coldly as he readjusted his trunks. He quickly pulled himself out of the pool and ran dripping through the house in search of Buffy. He saw immediately that the front door was still ajar and ran over to it quickly, flinging it open in time to see her running down the street. Quickly, he grabbed his keys and jumped into his car, peeling out of the driveway. He pulled up beside her, creeping along slowly as she continued to walk. He rolled down the window, calling her name. She looked up at him, startled. "I didn't even see you there," she said in a shaky voice. "I'm sorry about before. I didn't mean to interrupt you. I just...I thought I would come over for a swim. I should have called first. I'm sorry." "Buffy, please get in, okay?" he asked, opening the car door. "Please?" She looked at him carefully before finally deciding to climb into the car. She slammed the door shut, fastening her seatbelt around her. "So, who is she?" she asked, straining to keep her voice steady even as she fought to keep her tears from falling. "You know...that girl." Angel sighed heavily. "She's just an old girlfriend who dropped by unexpectedly for a visit. I tried to tell her that I didn't want to see her, but-" "But you wound up in the pool making out with her instead," Buffy finished for him, refusing to look at him. "She pushed me in the pool and then before I knew it, she was on top of me. Look, I know that I could have probably tried a little harder to stop her, but I just had a weak moment. She means nothing to me," he said in desperation. "You don't have to explain yourself to me," she said stiffly. "It's not like you owe it to me or anything. I just misunderstood is all. You know, the card that came with the flowers. I read it and I guess I just misunderstood." He pulled into a nearby park, parking the car under a shady tree. "I don't think you misunderstood at all," he said, taking her chin and turning her head until she was forced to look him directly in the eyes. "I meant everything I wrote." Buffy looked at him for a long moment, staring deeply into his warm brown eyes. "I have to go," she said softly. Before he could stop her, she was out of the car and already sprinting towards home. He decided to let her go so that she could have some time by herself. He sighed heavily, resting his head on the steering wheel. Way to go, Angel, he berated himself. Really smooth. Chapter4 Angel let Buffy cool off for a few days before he even tried to approach her again. He decided that he definitely needed to give her some time to cool off, but every time he even caught a glance of a telephone, he had to fight the urge to pick it up and dial her number. He tried his best to concentrate on his schoolwork instead, though it seemed to be somewhat futile. One day he was working on a painting for one of his classes when he heard the doorbell ring. As usual, his parents were out, so it was just he and Xander. "Xand, can you get that please?" he shouted. After a moment, when there had been no response from Xander and the doorbell had rang yet again, he cursed under his breath and put his paintbrush down. "Fine, I'll get it," he muttered as he made his way to the front door. He found himself speechless when he opened the door and found Buffy standing on his doorstep. "Buffy, please come in," he said, opening the door wider and standing aside to allow her passage. "Xander is around here somewhere. If you give me a second, I'll go upstairs and get him for you." "Actually, I'm not here to see Xander," Buffy said nervously, stepping inside. "I wanted to talk to you about the other day." Angel felt his heart leap into his throat. *She* was seeking *him* out, but was it to bring him good news or bad? "Why don't we go into the kitchen?" he asked, gesturing in that direction. "I can get you some soda or something, and we can talk." Buffy cleared her throat nervously, unconsciously fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "Well, uh, soda would be great, but I was kinda of hoping we could talk in your room. You know...your bedroom," she added quickly, blushing brightly. Angel couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was almost sure she could hear his heart thundering in his chest. "Uh, yeah, sure," he managed to choke out. "Just let me get you that soda first." "That's okay, I can get it," Buffy blurted. "I'll just meet you upstairs." "Sure," he said easily. As he turned and headed up the stairs to his room, he let the gravity of the situation sink in. She wanted to go to his *bedroom*. *Alone*. Unbelievable. Of course, part of him knew exactly what she was doing. It was her way of doing some snooping without actually invading his privacy. If he invited her into his room, then it was alright for her to be there, to look for pictures or love letters from potential girlfriends, to look for *anything* feminine at all that might indicate that he had a special female in his life. She was a very clever girl. Still, he wasn't complaining at all about having her in his room, just the two of them, all alone. He was thankful that he wasn't a big slob like Xander. His room was immaculate in fact, except for the pair of boxers he had carelessly discarded in the floor that morning. He snatched them up and tossed them into his closet, his eyes coming to rest on the box of panties in the top of his closet. Suddenly, it seemed very silly to have a collection like that. He slammed the door, sure as hell not wanting Buffy to see them, and vowed to himself that he would throw them away as soon as she left. Even though he had been with all of those girls way before he met Buffy, he felt as if he had betrayed her in some way. He was actually *ashamed* of himself, and he vaguely wondered what the girl had done to him to make him develop a conscious. He slammed the closet door quickly and walked over to his desk, pulling the chair out and straddling it casually. He didn't want to make Buffy uncomfortable by taking a seat on the bed. A few minutes later, Buffy walked in with her soda and hand. She shut the door behind them for privacy and sat down on the edge of his bed, setting her drink on his nightstand. She looked at him for a long moment before finally speaking. "Angel, I-" "Buffy-" he began at the same time. Both of them laughed uncomfortably. "Can I go first?" he asked. She nodded her head, so he continued. "Buffy, I wanted to apologize to you for the other day. I know it looked bad, but I swear to you, Darla means nothing to me. In fact, from the moment I first laid eyes on you, nobody mattered to me but you. You walked in on the beginning of a very bad mistake the other day, and I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I'm twenty-two years old, Buffy, and I have a past. There are a lot of things that I have done that I'm not proud of. Darla is one of those things, but I assure you, she is completely in the past. Unfortunately, sometimes the past comes back to bite you in the ass. Figuratively, of course," he added. "You don't have any reason to believe me, but I am being completely honest with you when I say that *you* are the one I want to be with. Of course, I don't expect you to return my feelings, but-" "Can I go now?" she asked, interrupting him. She didn't wait for an answer, but rather just plunged ahead with what she had to say. "I don't know exactly what I walked in on the other day, and *believe me* when I say that I don't *want* to know. I just wanted to tell you that I believe you, Angel. I believe that you genuinely like me. Maybe I'm a fool, but I believe you. But you and I both know that there is a *big* problem." "Xander," Angel said, beginning to understand where she was going. "Right. The last thing I want to do is to hurt him," she said softly. "I don't know what to do." "I think that we need to find another girl for Xander," Angel said thoughtfully. "The only problem is that my brother is kind of a spaz. I don't know how the hell he got lucky enough to have a girl as wonderful and beautiful as you as his girlfriend." Buffy blushed furiously. "Well, I don't know about all of that," she said shyly. "Well, I do," he said firmly. "So, do you have any girlfriends that are single?" he asked, getting back to the subject at hand. "I do have one, but I'm not sure if she is really Xander's type," Buffy said, thinking of Faith. "Xander doesn't *have* a type," Angel said dryly. "Anyway, it's worth a try, right? So now we need a good date idea for them. You know, an excuse for them to get together." "Well, there *is* a Valentine's Day dance coming up at school," Buffy said thoughtfully. "That would be a good date, wouldn't it? I mean, a big social thing like that is good because it's not as nerve-wracking as being one on one on a first date." Angel perked up when she mentioned the dance. "A Valentine's Day dance, huh? That sounds great, very romantic. Do you have a date?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Buffy burst out laughing at his question. "Me? Have a date? I hadn't had a date in a *long* time until Xander, and definitely haven't had a date since. Nobody really expects to see me at those kind of things because nobody ever asks me to go. I don't think I have ever been to a school dance in my life." "So you wouldn't be interested in going then," Angel said in disappointment. "I don't know. I have never really thought about it," Buffy said. Suddenly, it occurred to her that he was hinting around about going with her. "Wait a minute...are you asking me to the dance?" she asked suspiciously. Her heart was hammering in her chest at the prospect. It *would* be very romantic to dance in Angel's arms, even if it was in the smelly gym. "Maybe," he said casually. "Why? Would you be interested?" "Maybe," she said with a smile. "Well, then let's just see if we can't get the ball rolling for Xander," Angel said, smiling back at her broadly. ******************************************************* "Excuse me? Have you completely lost your fucking mind?" Faith asked incredulously. "You want me to go out with Xander Harris? Your ex? To a school dance? No fucking way!" "Come on, Faith, please!" Buffy pleaded with her. Buffy had immediately cornered Faith at school the next day and drug her into the library to talk to her about Xander. "It would be a personal favor to me." "I love you, B, but you know that school dances aren't my thing," Faith said. "I don't do dresses and flowers and crap paper." "Crepe paper," Buffy corrected. "Whatever," Faith said dismissively. "Why are you so eager to fix up your ex-honey anyway? Especially with me? I mean, I just wouldn't feel right going out with a friend's ex, you know?" Faith looked at her carefully, trying to figure out what Buffy was not telling her. "There's someone else isn't there? You found some hottie that you want to bone and you feel guilty about dumping Xander and moving on. Am I right?" "Well, sort of," Buffy admitted reluctantly. "Except for the whole boning thing," she added, cringing at Faith's crudeness. "And it is a little more complicated than that. Do you remember Xander being dropped off at school this morning?" she asked. "Uh, yeah, it was only like fifteen minutes ago," Faith said sarcastically. "I thought it was weird, since the Xand-man always rides the bus. Who was it that dropped him off? The guy was a major hottie." "That 'hottie' was Xander's big brother, Angel," Buffy said. "Holy shit! Are you telling me that fine piece of man meat is Xander Harris' big brother? You are fucking with me, right?" Faith said. "Nope." "Wait a minute...he's the guy, isn't he?" Faith said knowingly. "You are all hot and bothered over Xander's big brother!" "Actually, yeah," Buffy admitted reluctantly. "So you see how complicated things are. We are hoping that if we can get Xander to move on then it won't be so hard on him if we decide to date. Will you do it, Faith? Please?" she begged desperately. "Sure," Faith said easily. "Huh?" Buffy said in confusion. "Did you just agree to do it? Wow, that seemed a little too easy." "Look, Buffy, if Angel is Xander's brother, then there is a chance that in a few years Xander is going to be as hot or hotter. I mean, he's not a bad looking guy now, and he is nice and all, so what is one little date gonna hurt?" Buffy squealed in delight and threw her arms around Faith. "Thank you *so* much, Faith! You are the best." ******************************************************* Xander went straight up to his room and shut the door when he got home from school. He was still in a bit of a daze. Hell, he would probably still be in a daze this time next year. He couldn't believe that Faith Evans had walked up to him after school and asked him to go to the Valentine's Day dance. It had been a complete shock to him for several reasons. For one, he had always thought that Faith hated him. For another, this was *him*. He *never* got dates. Buffy had been the only girlfriend he had ever had. He hadn't really known what to say when she approached him. He had told her that he would have to make sure it was okay with Buffy first and that he would let her know tomorrow. He immediately went to his computer and logged on to his instant messenger, hoping that Buffy would be online. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was. Quickly, he typed in a message that simply said "Hey" and waited for her to respond. After a moment, a message from her popped up onto his screen. It read: "Buffster says Hey! What are you up to?" Xander typed in his response. "Xand-Man says Not much. The weirdest thing happened today and I wanted to talk to you about it. Buffster says Sure. What's up? Xand-Man says Faith asked me to the Valentine's Day dance today. Buffster says Really?! That's great! Xand-Man says You aren't mad, are you? Buffster says No, not at all. Why would I be mad? Xand-Man says I don't know. Just thought that you might feel weird about it. I kind of do. Buffster says Why? Don't feel weird about it. It is fine, I promise. You should go. It will be good for you. Xand-Man says You really don't mind? Buffster says Nooooo...why should I? Xand-Man says I don't know. So you think I should go? Buffster says Definitely." Just then, he heard the phone ring. "Xander, it's for you," Angel called to him from downstairs. "I'll be right there," he said. He quickly typed in "brb" and pushed out his desk chair. He swung his door open, only to find Angel standing right outside of his door. "What, are you spying on me now?" Xander accused. "Please," Angel snorted. "I have much better things to do than spy on you. You are too boring. I was merely coming up here to see if you were ever going to come answer the damn phone. It's some chick, but it's not Buffy." "Yeah, I know. I'm talking to Buffy online. Listen, I'll be back in a second, okay? Don't screw with my computer," Xander warned. "I'm not going to touch your precious computer, you twit," Angel snarled at him. "Now go answer the fucking phone." They exchanged glares before Xander turned and headed downstairs. As soon as he was out of sight, Angel immediately shut the door and sat down at his computer. He quickly read the conversation that had been going on between Buffy and his brother and smiled broadly. She had done it. He didn't know how, but she had managed to get his pathetic brother a date. He sat there for a moment before he gave in and decided to take advantage of the situation. He glanced quickly at the door before pulling out Xander's keyboard and typing a message. "Xand-Man says Hey. Buffster says You back? Xand-Man says Yeah. So there is something else I wanted to talk to you about. Buffster says Okay. Shoot. Xand-Man says Well, I've been picking up vibes between my brother and you. I think he likes you. Do you like him? Buffster says Xander, that is kind of a hard question. Not to mention personal. Xand-Man says Come on, Buffy. Just tell me. It's okay. Buffster says Fine. If you must know, yes, I like your brother a lot. I hope that doesn't hurt your feelings. Xand-Man says I'll deal with it, but I have to ask...what does he have that I don't? What do you see in him? Buffster says It's not that he has something you don't, Xand. It's just that there is a different chemistry between us. I mean, Angel is absolutely gorgeous, and sweet, and kind, and just incredible. You are those things, too, but it's just different with Angel. I hope that doesn't hurt your feelings." Just then, Angel heard Xander coming back up the stairs. Acting quickly, he typed in a farewell to Buffy, telling her he had to go, and then closed out their conversation and logged out of the instant messenger right before Xander opened the door. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Xander asked angrily. "Nothing. I just heard your instant messenger make that weird sound and so I wanted to see what was going on. Buffy sent you a message that said that she had to go, so I just logged off for you," Angel said innocently. "So who was that on the phone?" he asked, changing the subject. "That was a girl from school. She asked me to take her to the Valentine's Day dance at school," Xander informed him proudly. "Are you going?" Angel wanted to know. "Yeah, I am. I wanted to make sure it was okay with Buffy first because it is one of her friends, but she said she was cool with it so I'm going. I mean, might as well move on, right? I can't sit here and pine for Buffy for the rest of my life," he said, slight bitterness in his voice. "That's the spirit," Angel said happily. "Well, go to go. Things to do," he said, heading for his own room. As soon as he made it to his room, he slammed the door shut and picked up the phone to call Buffy. He could barely contain his excitement as he listened to the phone ring on the other side of the line. "Hello?" Buffy answered after three rings. "Buffy? This is Angel," he said. "I have great news. Xander is going to the dance with whomever you set him up with. He said something about moving on." "That's great," Buffy said excitedly. "I'm glad for him." "So...does this mean you will go to the dance with me?" he asked anxiously. "I would love to," she said. He could practically hear the smile in her voice. "It is Friday. I hope that is not too short of a notice. I know that it is already Wednesday. I understand if you can't go." "Of course I can go," he said reassuringly. "I am perfectly aware that Friday is Valentine's Day, Buffy. I wasn't expecting them to have a Valentine's Day dance anytime other than Valentine's Day. So tell me, is this a formal thing?" "Yeah, it is. Is that okay?" "It's *fine*," he told her. "I'll pick you up at eight?" "Sounds perfect," she said. "I'll see you then." Chapter5 It wasn't until Friday night that Xander found out about Angel and Buffy. He was busy getting ready in the bathroom when he heard Angel pounding on the door. "Jesus Christ, Xander, other people need to use the bathroom, too, you know," he bellowed in irritation. Xander rolled his eyes, wishing once again that he didn't have to share a bathroom with his older brother, and opened the door for him. Angel shoved past him and moved to stand in front of the huge mirror in the bathroom, reaching for his tube of hair gel. Not wanting to spend any more time than necessary around his big brother, Xander hurriedly finished getting ready and headed for his room. He was supposed to pick up Faith in an hour, so he was going to have to hurry. He managed fine with his pants and shirt, but when he got to the tie, he began to fumble miserably. He had never been able to tie a necktie. He knew that he was going to have to get Angel to help him. He trudged down the hall miserably and knocked on his brother's door. Angel opened it almost immediately, and Xander was surprised to see him standing there in formal wear himself. "I need you to help me with my tie," Xander said bluntly. He handed it over and stood still while Angel fixed it for him. When he had finished, Xander stepped back and looked in the mirror, admiring his reflection. "So what are you all dressed up for anyway?" he asked as he smoothed his shirt. "The same reason you are," Angel said coolly. "I'm going to the Valentine's Day dance." "Really?" Xander asked in surprise. "With who?" "Buffy," Angel said calmly. "Excuse me?" Xander asked in a tight voice. "I'm sorry. I must have heard you wrong because I could have sworn that you said you were going with Buffy to the dance." "No, you heard me right," Angel said, fiddling with his hair. He was surprised to find himself slammed up against the wall. "What the fuck do you think you are doing, you little prick?" he asked in shock. "Godamn it, Angel, you could have any girl. Why did you have to choose Buffy? You know that she is the only girl that has ever meant anything to me, you son of a bitch," Xander yelled at him. He drew back his fist, but Angel caught it before it could connect with his face. He twisted Xander's arm behind his back, turning quickly and pinning him up against the wall. "Don't do this, Xander," Angel said quietly. "I don't want to hurt you." "No? Well you sure as hell could have fooled me," Xander said tearfully. When Angel heard the hurt in his brother's voice, he let him go. Xander immediately fled into his bedroom, and Angel did not see him again before he left to go pick up Buffy. Angel really did feel bad about what had happened. He really hadn't wanted to hurt his brother, but he *had* to be with Buffy. He had never loved a girl before, but if he had to guess, he was pretty sure that what he felt for Buffy was love. What's more, it had been instantaneous, a real love at first sight type of thing. When he arrived at Buffy's house, he grabbed her corsage out of the passenger seat and walked up her driveway, waiting nervously on her doorstep after he rang her doorbell. Riley answered the door, a flustered look on his face. "Can I help you?" he asked distractedly. "Um, I'm Angel. I'm here to pick up Buffy for the dance," he said, sticking out his hand to shake Riley's. "You must be her brother. Riley, right?" "Yeah, that's right," Riley said coolly, ignoring Angel's outstretched hand. "Look, go on in. She'll be down in a second. I'm running late and if I don't hurry, my girlfriend is going to kill me." He pushed past Angel, hurrying to his car. A few seconds later, he was squalling out of the driveway, leaving Angel still standing there with his hand stuck out. He dropped it immediately down to his side and let himself in, wondering why he had gotten such a cold reception from her brother. The moment he stepped foot into the Summers' home, he was in awe of the size of the place. From outside, the house looked rather large, but inside it was huge! He walked through the foyer uncertainly, entering a room that he guessed was the living room. He seated himself on one of the plush, leather sofas to wait for Buffy, taking in his surroundings. An older man entered the room then and Angel immediately jumped to his feet. "Ah, you must be Angel, I presume?" the man asked in a clipped English accent. Angel nodded his head in confirmation. "Well, I must say, I have heard good things about you, young man. My name is Wesley Windham-Pryce. I am Buffy's uncle. It's a pleasure," Wesley said, reaching out to shake Angel's hand. "Likewise, sir," Angel responded, relieved that at least Buffy's uncle was being civil. "You are here to pick Buffy up for the dance, correct?" Wesley asked. Angel nodded his head. "Well, then, I will let her know that you are here," he said. Angel expected him to go upstairs to tell Buffy, but instead he picked up a phone and pressed a number. "Buffy? Your young suitor is downstairs waiting for you. Yes, of course, I'll tell him," Wesley said, hanging up the phone. "Buffy has her own extension," Wesley explained to him when he saw the confusion on Angel's face. "She said that she is on her way downstairs as we speak," he said. Both men stood at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Buffy to make her entrance. As soon as Angel saw her, he instantly forgot all of his worries and guilt over upsetting Xander. All he could focus on was the embodiment of perfection that was walking down those stairs. She was wearing a bright red satin gown that reached the floor. The neckline was cut very low and tied in the front, leaving a keyhole opening. The dress was held up by two thin spaghetti straps, and it showed off her shapely figure and golden skin perfectly. Red sandals peaked out from under her dress as she descended the stairs. "Wow, Buffy, you look breathtaking," Angel said breathlessly. "Yes, my dear, you look just lovely," Wesley said proudly, taking her hand and helping her down the last few smiles. Buffy smiled brightly at their compliments. "You look great," she told Angel, taking in how handsome he looked in his tux. "I got this for you," she said, taking a clear plastic container off of a nearby table and producing a single red rose boutonniere. She pinned it on him carefully, holding her breath because she was afraid she might prick him with the pin. When she had successfully pinned it to his jacket, she stepped back to examine the effect. "It looks wonderful on you," she decided. "I brought you a corsage," he said, producing the same kind of container that she had. He opened it up and inside was the most beautiful corsage Buffy had ever seen. It was a blood red rose, surrounded by tulle and silver ribbon. He took her hand gently and slipped it on her wrist. "Well, shall we go?" he asked, offering her his arm. "Absolutely," she said, giving him a dazzling smile. "Good night, Uncle Wes. Don't wait up!" she called over her shoulder, giving him a little wave. "I convinced him to suspend my curfew for the night," she whispered to Angel, giving him a little wink before practically dragging him down the driveway to his car. ******************************************************* When Buffy and Angel walked into the gym that night, they were met with an incredible sight. The gym had been completely transformed for the night. There was a DJ set up in the corner with a real turntable and the works, and there were people already on the dance floor. There was red, white, and pink crepe paper and balloons everywhere. The decoration committee had really gone all out. There were even clear Christmas lights strung everywhere to create a romantic atmosphere. "Isn't it beautiful?" Buffy breathed, looking around them at all of the decorations. "You are beautiful," Angel told her softly. "Let's get some punch." He took her hand and led her over to the refreshments table, handing her a cup of punch. She sipped it slowly, scanning the crowd for any of her friends. She immediately saw Cordelia and Gunn at the center of the dance floor, showing off some dance moves that were just downright indecent. She also saw her brother and Anya at the very edge of the crowd and shook her head in amazement. Anya insisted on leading whenever they went dancing, and she and Riley were quite the sight. Her eyes flitted over to the entrance for a moment. There she saw Xander and Faith walk in and her eyes widened in horror. Faith was wearing the tiniest dress she had ever seen in her life. Her eyes locked with Faith's and the brunette immediately drug Xander over to where Buffy and Angel stood. "Hey, B, you look great," Faith said. "Thanks. Uh, you too," Buffy said, plastering on a smile. "Hey, Xand." "Buffy," Xander said stiffly. "Angel." Buffy frowned at the strained tone of Xander's voice. Maybe he had changed his mind now that he had seen Buffy and Angel together and decided he wasn't okay with it after all. "Um guys, can I talk to Xander alone for a sec?" "Sure," Faith said. "I'll just take Angel here out onto the dance floor and warm him up for you," she said with a wink, taking Angel by the arm and dragging him toward the throng of people on the dance floor. Angel looked back at Buffy uncertainly, and Buffy gave him a reassuring smile. Then she turned her attention back to Xander. "Look, Xander, I hope that seeing Angel and I together isn't too weird for you," she said, concern written all of her face. "I just figured that since you have moved on with Faith that it wouldn't be so hard on you. Are you okay?" "I'm fine," Xander said with a forced smile. "Everything is fine. I mean, it's not like we are a couple anymore or anything. You are free to date whomever you please. I should really get back to Faith now, but before I do, I have something for you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small white box, handing it to her. "Go on, open it." She took the box and opened the lid slowly, taking out a silver ID bracelet. "It's beautiful, Xander," she said softly. Peering at it closely, she read the inscription. "Yours always." "I-I-It came that way, really, they all said that!" Xander said quickly. "Anyway, Happy Valentine's Day. I gotta go," he said turning away from her quickly and walking towards Faith. Buffy fingered the bracelet gently, tears forming in her eyes. She hadn't wanted to hurt Xander, but it looked like that was exactly what she had done. She didn't even notice when Angel walked up beside her. "What's that?" he asked, eyeing the bracelet she was holding. "Xander gave it to me just now," Buffy said. "I think that seeing us together has really hurt him, Angel. I feel terrible. I thought he would be okay with it, but I guess not." "He'll be okay, Buffy, I promise," Angel said gently. "Meanwhile, I have something for you, too. I was gonna give it to you later, but since my little brother gave you a bracelet, I might as well give it to you now." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. "This if for you," he said, handing it to her. She took the box from him and opened it slowly. Her eyes widened immediately when she saw what the box contained. "Oh my god, Angel, I can't accept this," she said breathlessly. Nestled inside was a beautiful emerald and diamond ring. "Yes, you can," Angel said, removing the ring from the box and taking her hand in his. "It's a claddagh ring. It is a symbol of devotion to the Irish. That is where my ancestors are from. My grandmother was from Ireland. The hands represent friendship, the crown represents loyalty. The heart, well, you know... Wear it with the heart pointing toward you, it means you belong to somebody...like this," he said, slipping the ring on her finger. "It's beautiful," she said, staring down at the ring and then into his eyes. "It must have been so expensive..." "Nothing is too expensive for you, Buffy," he said softly. "You are priceless, my love." Suddenly, the music changed from a fast song to a slow, romantic one. "This is my favorite song," Buffy said, grabbing Angel's hand. "Dance with me?" He allowed her to lead him out onto the dance floor, then wrapped his arms around her and held her close. The world seemed to melt away then as they moved to the music. //We got the afternoon You got this room for two One thing I've left to do Discover me Discovering you One mile to every inch of Your skin like porcelain One pair of candy lips and Your bubblegum tongue And if you want love We'll make it Swimming a deep sea Of blankets Take all your big plans And break 'em This is bound to be a while Your body is a wonderland Your body is a wonder (I'll use my hands) Your body is a wonderland// Buffy smiled up at him, gazing deeply into his eyes. She had never felt this way about any other guy in her entire life. She loved to be this close to him, to feel his body pressed against hers, his hands touching her gently. She laid her head on his shoulder, inhaling his scent deeply and losing herself in the moment. //Something 'bout the way the hair falls in your face I love the shape you take when crawling towards the pillowcase You tell me where to go and Though I might leave to find it I'll never let your head hit the bed Without my hand behind it You want love? We'll make it Swimming a deep sea Of blankets Take all your big plans And break 'em This is bound to be a while Your body is a wonderland Your body is a wonder (I'll use my hands) Your body is a wonderland// Buffy began to grind against Angel slightly, letting her feelings lead her. Angel suppressed a groan as he felt Buffy begin to rub herself against him slowly. He could have sworn that she was doing it on purpose. The feel of her hot little body pressed against his was driving him crazy, and it had to be more than obvious to her as close as they were dancing. //Damn baby You frustrate me I know you're mine all mine all mine But you look so good it hurts sometimes// "Buffy, I-I need you," Angel whispered into her ear. "I need you *now*." He took her by the hand and led her outside. They could still hear the music drifting out of the gym and into the night. He cupped her face gently, kissing her tentatively at first. Soon, however, their kiss deepened and became more passionate. Buffy felt incredibly lightheaded from the sensation of their kiss. She took his hands and moved them up to cup her breasts, pressing up even closer to him than before. "Angel, I want you," she whispered against his lips. "I want you to make love to me. Is there somewhere we can go?" //Your body is a wonderland Your body is a wonder (I'll use my hands) Your body is a wonderland Your body is a wonderland// Angel fought hard for control over himself. "Buffy, we can't," he managed to choke out. "I want it to be special our first time. I don't want it to be in the back seat of a car in the heat of the moment or something. I mean, I assume that it is your first time, and I want to make it perfect." "Angel, it *is* my first time, but it will be special as long as it is with you," Buffy said. "It doesn't have to be in the backseat, either. I don't have a curfew, remember? I don't have to be home, and I'm guessing that you don't either. There is a really nice hotel not far from here. Please, Angel, I need you now." Even though he knew he was being weak, he let himself give in. Within fifteen minutes, they were in the lobby of the hotel, paying for their room. Both of them took deep breaths as they unlocked the door to their room and went inside. This was it. There was no going back now, right? Chapter6 Angel closed the door to their hotel room behind him and tossed the jacket of his tux across a chair. He couldn't believe that he was really here with Buffy, that this was really happening. She wanted him to *make love* to her. It was incredible. He felt a momentary twinge of guilt when he looked over and saw how nervous she was, but the lust that had been building up inside of him quickly suspended all rational thought as he hungrily raked his eyes over her perfect little body. He closed the distance between them quickly, taking her into his arms. Buffy smiled nervously at him. She really wanted to be here, but she couldn't help but be a little afraid. Would it hurt? She had heard that the first time hurt pretty badly, but that it also felt wonderful. She just couldn't seem to be able to wrap her mind around that. How could something hurt so bad and feel so good at the same time? She tried to relax as Angel wrapped his arms around her and leaned down for a kiss. At first, the kiss was timid and gentle, but soon it became more passionate and needy. Suddenly, all thoughts flew from her mind as her body took control. She wanted Angel. That was all that mattered. She pressed against him tighter as his hands roamed her body, exploring her every curve. An unfamiliar feeling began to stir within her. She suddenly felt very hot and she could hear her blood pounding in her ears. She let out a soft moan as he cupped her breasts gently, kneading them and tweaking her nipples through the material of her dress. Instinctively, she began to grind against him, wondering if he could feel how hot and wet she was through her dress. She was dripping for him. Her panties were already soaked from her arousal. She became bolder, letting her own hands explore his body, nipping and sucking the flesh of his neck. His groans of pleasure encouraged her even more. She ran her tongue across his lips and smiled as she felt his cock jerk in response. She pulled away from him a little and pushed him back onto the bed, smiling at him seductively. Then she reached behind her and unzipped her dress, slipping the straps down her shoulders and letting the garment drop to the floor. He gulped as he watched the red satin pool around her feet. She was the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen, and he had never wanted anyone so much in his entire life. As he looked at her standing there, a picture of purity and innocence, completely trusting, he knew that he couldn't go through with it though. She deserved better than this. He also knew that if he didn't put a stop to things right now, later it would be too late. "Buffy, love, put your dress back on," he managed to choke out. "We can't do this. We are leaving right now." Buffy just stood there for a moment, hurt beyond words. Slowly, she bent over and pulled her dress back up to cover her body. "I-I'm sorry," she said tearfully as she zipped her dress back up. "I knew that this wouldn't work. I was stupid to think that I was attractive enough for you. I know that I don't compare to all of the others girls you have been with." Angel felt his heart break in his chest. "Is that what you think? That you aren't beautiful enough for me? My god, Buffy, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life. The girls I have been with in the past don't even hold a candle to you." He stood from the bed and walked over to her, hooking his index finger under her chin and tilting it up so that she was forced to look at him. He wanted to cry himself when he saw her beautiful face stained with tears, tears that *he* had caused. "That isn't why you wanted to come here tonight is it? Because of my past?" "I just thought that...well, I know that you probably slept with all of those other girls right away, and I just didn't want to lose you. I thought that maybe if I showed you how much I want to be with you-" "You thought that if you didn't sleep with me, I wouldn't want to be with you," he said in understanding. "I'm sorry that I made you think that, Buffy. You must really think I'm a horrible person," he said, the hurt evident in his voice. "No, I-I don't-" she began. "Look, Buffy, the reason we can't do this is because you deserve better. This is our *first date*, love. You don't want to be the type of girl that sleeps with someone on the first date. You are better than that. All of those other girls were cheap, and I was cheap for being with them. I'm different now, Buffy. You make me want to be a better man. I will *not* take advantage of you. We aren't going to do this until I am sure that you are ready and that you aren't doing it because you are afraid you are going to lose me if you don't," he said firmly. "I just wanted to be perfect for you," Buffy said sadly. "Love, you *are* perfect. I don't deserve someone as perfect as you," he told her, wiping her tears away gently with the pad of his thumb. "Please, stop crying, sweetheart. Tonight was supposed to be special." "I'm sorry that I ruined everything," Buffy said. "I shouldn't have led you on." "You didn't lead me on at all," he reassured her. "It was just the circumstances. The song we were dancing to was awfully sexy, and the whole atmosphere was romantic. It all had an effect on me, too. I should have never even let things get this far. This isn't your fault, Buffy, it's mine. I know better than this. I was just being selfish because I want you so much, but there is plenty of time for that. Come on, love, I'm taking you home," he said gently. He grabbed his jacket off of the chair and draped it over her shoulders. "I'm not ready to go home just yet," she said. "Can we go back to your house or something? Watch a movie, talk...anything. I'm just not ready to say good night to you yet." "Of course we can," he said, guiding her towards the door. "My parents aren't going to be home for another week. They are on some kind of cruise or something. It's just Xander and me." Instantly, he wished that he could take back the last sentence he had just spoken. He hadn't meant to bring up Xander's name, and he could tell by the look on her face that it had upset her. "You are worried about him, aren't you?" he asked her. "Yeah, I really am," she said, nodding her head. "I just feel so bad, you know? I thought he would be okay with us since he seemed to be moving on with Faith, but he just seemed so hurt tonight when he saw us together. I mean, Xander and I will never be anything more than friends, but I still love him as my friend. I can't stand to see him hurting." "I wouldn't worry too much about my little brother, love," Angel tried to reassure her. "It looks like he is doing pretty well for himself if you ask me. In fact, judging from the way your friend, Faith, was practically molesting him on the dance floor, it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't even come home tonight." "Not Xander," Buffy said, shaking her head. "He's not like that. He's a better-" She stopped herself, but judging from the look on Angel's face, she was too late. "Go ahead, Buffy, you can say it," Angel said quietly. "He's a better person than that. He's a better person than *me*. It's the truth, and it's not like I don't know it. In fact, I don't even know what you are doing with someone like me when you could be with a good guy like Xander." He turned away from her then, not able to bear looking at her any longer. He knew that he didn't deserve her. He had practically stolen her from his little brother for Pete's sake! He was scum, and he was just waiting for Buffy to realize it and drop him like a sack of potatoes. Buffy stepped closer to him, resting one of her tiny hands on his shoulder. "Angel, please don't talk like that, okay? You are a good person! I know that you have done some things in the past that were less than honorable, but you have changed. I believe that you are a good person, Angel. I believe in you." He turned around then to face her and kissed her lips gently, marveling at the good fortune that he'd had in finding such a remarkable woman. "Come on now, let's go to your house and relax," she said, offering him one of her sweet smiles. ******************************************************* It took a while before Xander realized that Buffy and his brother were nowhere to be seen. He had been dancing with Faith for a while now, and she proved to be a *very good* distraction. Sure, she was no Buffy, but he had to give it to her, the girl had moves. Hell, she was practically fucking him right there on the dance floor. Eventually, however, he was in urgent need of something to drink and a rest from all of the dancing they had been doing, so he took her by the hand and pulled her out of the crowd and toward the refreshment table. He handed her a cup of punch and then took one for himself, gulping it down quickly. Faith pulled a small flask out of her purse and emptied the contents into her cup before sliding it back into her bag quickly. She held up her cup in a salute. "Cheers," she said before downing her spiked drink. "Can we sit out a few?" Xander asked her. "I need to cool off." Faith shrugged. "Sure, whatever," she said, following him to some chairs that were set up along the wall. After they sat down, Xander scanned the crowd, trying not to be too obvious as he searched for any sign of Buffy and his brother. Unfortunately, subtlety was not one of his strong suits. "Lookin' for your big bro and B?" Faith asked him knowingly. Xander nodded guiltily. "They've been gone for a while now. I saw them head outside right in the middle of a song they were dancing to, and they looked pretty cozy. Haven't seen them since. I don't guess they ever came back in." Xander blanched as he let Faith's words absorb into his brain. Fuck! If he knew his brother, Buffy was about to become another notch in Angel's headboard, if she hadn't already. "We have to find them right now," Xander said suddenly, grabbing Faith by the hand and practically dragging her to the door. "I just hope it's not too late." Faith allowed herself to be dragged along only because she didn't want to miss out on the fireworks that were sure to ensue if Xander found Angel and Buffy. It didn't upset her that her date was so obsessed with another girl. It wasn't like she was looking for a boyfriend or anything. Faith wasn't the kind of girl to settle down. "Where are we going?" she asked him curiously as they hurried to his car. "The best place I can think of to start," Xander answered her. "Our house...Angel's bedroom." ******************************************************* When Angel and Buffy arrived at his house, no one was there. He had just gotten out of the car and walked around to open the door for Buffy when Xander and Faith pulled up, screeching to a halt in the driveway. Xander flung open his car door furiously, sick to his stomach to think that he might already be too late. Faith calmly opened her door and climbed out, leaning against the car so that she would have a good view of the chaos that was to come. Angel helped Buffy out of the car, shutting the door after she had climbed out. He looked up at Xander in surprise. He hadn't really expected for him to be home for at least a couple more hours. "Hey, Xand, what are you doing home so early?" he asked curiously. Xander didn't answer but rather charged at Angel, slamming him up against the car. "You son of a bitch!" Xander screamed. "If you touched her, I'll kill you!" "Xander, what are you talking about? Get the fuck off of me," Angel growled, shoving his little brother away. "What do you think you are doing?" Xander looked from Angel to Buffy with wild eyes. He saw how rumpled Angel's jacket was, as well as Buffy's dress, and assumed he was too late. "You slept with her, didn't you?" he said angrily, jabbing a finger in Angel's chest. "I knew it! I knew that you were only after one thing. You sure work fast, Angel," he spat. "And you! How could you sleep with him on the first date?" he asked, turning his attention to Buffy. "We went out for *months* and you wouldn't even let me touch you, but you go all the way with *him* on the *first date*? Why? You think he cares about you? That you are different than all of the other girls that he has used and tossed aside? Well, you are wrong. You wanna know the kind of guy that you are dating, Buffy? The *real* him? Well you ought to check out his closet sometime. He has a really impressive collection of underwear from all of the girls that he has fucked over the years. He keeps them like trophies. Is that the kind of guy you want to be with? Are you proud of yourself now that you have screwed him? Congratulations, Buffy, you just became another one of his whores." A sob tore from Buffy's throat at his cruel words. Before Xander knew what was going on, he felt a fist connect violently with his face. He fell to the ground, not knowing quiet what was going on at first, but it didn't take long to sink in that Angel was his attacker. "You little fuck, don't you ever talk to her that way again!" Angel yelled, slamming his fist into Xander's face over and over again as he straddled him on the ground. "I will fucking *kill* you, do you understand me?" He continued throttling Xander until Buffy's sobbing broke past the thick fog of rage that was clouding his brain. "Angel, stop it! Please! Angel, you are killing him!" Buffy sobbed, grabbing onto Angel's arm to try and stop him from beating Xander any more. "Angel!" Angel snapped back to his senses then, standing up and backing away from Xander. He looked down at his bloody fist and then at Xander's broken face in horror, realizing that he had gone too far. "Holy shit!" Faith said, walking closer so that she could see the extent of the damage that had been done to Xander's face. His lip was busted, and his nose was gushing blood. Both eyes were already starting to swell and turn an ugly shade of purple. He just laid there on the ground, completely unconscious. "We need to get him inside," she said to no one in particular. She bent down to help him, somehow managing to drag him to his feet. She put one of his arms over her shoulder and half carried, half dragged him inside of the house. Buffy and Angel were left standing there staring at each other in silence. "God, I can't believe I just did that," Angel said quietly, staring down at the sticky blood on his hands. "It's just that when he said those horrible things about you, I just snapped." "Is what he said true, Angel? Do you really have a collection of panties belonging to all of the girls you have slept with?" Buffy demanded in a tearful voice. She felt like she was going to be sick. What Angel had done to Xander was awful to have to watch, but she knew that it was in her defense. The part that made her nauseous was the thought of Angel actually keeping the underwear of all of his conquests like trophies. "Answer me," she said, nearly hysterical. "Is it true?" "No, of course not," Angel said. "That is nothing more than a lie." "Then prove it," she said firmly. "Take me into your room right now and show me that what Xander said was a lie. I want to see it for myself." Chapter 7 Angel led Buffy into the house, past the living room where Xander was laying on the couch, and up the stairs to his bedroom in complete silence. The muscles in his neck were knotted from stress and tension, and he felt like if he tried to speak, his voice would crack. Beads of sweat had broken out on his forehead, and his heart was racing. He hoped the hell that he hadn't left anything incriminating in view in his bedroom but he was fairly sure that he had thrown out anything that could prove to be damaging. He was so glad that he had thrown out his collection of panties earlier that week. In fact, he had tossed them the minute that he had thought that things were looking promising with Buffy. Still, he cursed his little brother for even bringing it up. Buffy would have never even suspected something like that about him if it hadn't been for Xander. Angel came to a stop outside of his bedroom door and swung it open. Then he flipped on the light switch and stood back so that she could enter. He followed her in and walked directly over to his closet door, opening it and flipping on the light in the closet. "Go ahead," he told her calmly. "You can search every square inch of this closet, of this entire *room* and you won't find a collection of panties. I'm telling you, Buffy, I'm not like that." Buffy looked at him carefully, but she saw nothing but sincerity on his face. Still, while she was here, she might as well settle this thing once and for all. She rifled through a shoebox or two and some bigger boxes but she found nothing but shoes, sporting equipment, and art supplies. She began to feel ridiculous about pilfering through his things like that, so after a few minutes, she stood up and dusted herself off, slamming the closet door closed and flipping off the light. "Angel, I am really, really sorry that I doubted you," she said softly. "I hope that you can forgive me. It's just that...I don't know. I know that I'm being insecure and silly, but I can't help myself. I wonder everyday what someone like you would see in someone like me." "I'm just glad that you see that you can trust me," Angel told her. "Trust is the most important thing in a relationship. I want you know that I would never lie to you, Buffy." "I know that," she said, throwing her arms around him and giving him a big hug. "I know you would never be anything other than completely honest. God, I am going to *kill* Xander for this. It is so ridiculous for him to go around making crazy accusations like that about you. He is way out of control." "Buffy, maybe you shouldn't be so hard on him," Angel said hesitantly. "Hard on him?" Buffy asked incredulously. "Angel, he attacked you for Pete's sake! He attacked you, and he tried to make me doubt you by filling my head with lies. He is trying to come between us. Well, I'm not going to let him. I really like you, and this relationship has potential. I'm not going to let Xander ruin that just because he is jealous." With that, she turned on her heel and marched downstairs. She walked into the living room and right over to the couch where Xander was laying, Angel trailing helplessly behind her. "Xander, we need to talk," she said fiercely. Xander was laying with his head in Faith's lap and looked up at Buffy silently. "I can't believe you lied to me about Angel having a box of trophy panties," Buffy exploded. "What? I wasn't lying to you about that," Xander said indignantly. "If you didn't find them, he probably threw them away. I'm telling you, Buffy, he had a whole box full of them. He is an insensitive jerk who does nothing but use women and then throw them away-" "Xander, just shut up, okay?" Buffy cut him off. "I don't want to hear it. You are being so immature about this whole thing. First you tell me that you are okay with Angel and me, and now you are acting like it is the end of the world." "Wait, what do you mean I said I was okay with it?" Xander asked. "I have *never* been okay with it. In fact, tonight was the first time I had even heard anything about you and Angel dating." "Don't play dumb with me, Xander Harris," Buffy spat. "You know very well that I told you how I felt about Angel over instant messenger, and you said it was okay." "Buffy, I'm telling you, I don't know what you are talking about," Xander insisted. "The last time I talked to you on instant messenger, you never said a word about any of this." Suddenly, realization dawned on Xander and he turned accusing eyes towards his brother. "You son of a bitch! You pretended to be me when I went downstairs, didn't you?" "I don't know what you are talking about," Angel said coolly. "Xander, would you please just stop?" Buffy said in exasperation. "Please, just stop with the lies. You know what? You are supposed to be my friend, and you are supposed to be *his* brother. How can you do this?" "Buffy, I-" "No, Xander, don't even waste your breath," Buffy said, holding up her hand to silence him. "I don't want to hear another word. I will not stand here a second longer and listen to your lies. When you grow up a little, then you can come talk to me," she said, ripping the bracelet he had given her off her wrist and throwing it at him. Then she stormed out of the room, Angel once again trailing behind her. She didn't stop until she was out of the house, stopping to sit on the steps of the front porch. She buried her face in her hands, letting her tears fall freely now. She just didn't understand why Xander was acting like this, how he could say all of the horrible things he had said. Angel sat down beside her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Damn his brother! Why couldn't he leave things alone? If he fucked this up for him, he was going to kill him! Angel felt Buffy lean in against him slightly and murmured soothing words to her. "Shh, Buffy, don't let him get to you. It's all going to be alright," he whispered to her. Buffy looked up at him with tear filled eyes. "I just don't understand, Angel. Why is he doing this? Why is he trying to make me not trust you?" "He's just jealous I guess," Angel said. "I don't know why else he would make up lies like that. I know that if I lost you, I would be upset, too, but I would never do something like this to you." "I know you wouldn't," she said, sniffling a little. She rested her head on his shoulder, sighing heavily. How had things gotten so messed up? "Buffy, I know that this isn't really a good time to ask you this, but were you serious about what you said upstairs?" Angel asked her hesitantly. Buffy looked at him in bewilderment. "Huh?" "You said that you really liked me and that this relationship has potential." "Oh god, I called it a relationship, didn't I?" Buffy groaned. "Look, I'm really sorry. I don't want you to think that I'm this crazy person who thinks that just because we went out on one date that we are engaged or something. What I meant to say was that I feel like we have chemistry together, a real spark that could develop into something more if it is something that we both want." "Oh," Angel said quietly, a little disappointment ringing in his voice. "I messed up, didn't I?" Buffy babbled. "I freaked you out with the whole relationship thing." "No, not at all," Angel replied. "In fact, I kinda didn't mind the term 'relationship' at all. Of course, I understand that you don't want to just rush into something," he said quickly. "Angel?" "Yeah?" "Are you saying that you want to be in a relationship with me?" she asked softly. "Well...uh...I wouldn't be opposed to the idea," he said lamely. "I mean, I just don't want to push you into something that you don't want." "What if I want it?" Angel looked up, his eyes locking with hers. "Buffy...do you want to be my girlfriend?" he asked her. "Are you sure that is what you want?" "Are you kidding me? From the moment I first laid eyes on you, you are the only thing I have been able to think about. I can't eat, I can't sleep, and I can't study. All I can do is think about you." "Then I guess my answer would have to be a big yes," Buffy said, a slow smile breaking over her face. Suddenly, the door opened behind them and they both turned to see Faith standing behind them. "Uh, I hate to wreck your moment here, but I'm going to take Xander to the hospital. His face is really starting to swell." "Uh, do you want me to drive you?" Angel offered, reaching in his pocket for his keys. "Nah, that's okay big guy. No offense, but I think that you have kind of done enough to help Xander for one night." "Well, at least take my car, okay?" Angel said, tossing her his keys. "It's in a little better condition than Xander's hunk of junk." "Thanks, big guy," Faith said, catching the keys in mid-air. She let her eyes skim appreciatively over the smooth curves and fine contours of Angel's car. "Faith? Are you okay after everything that has happened tonight?" Buffy asked her friend, breaking Faith out of her reverie. "I mean, you were Xander's date and everything, and I don't want you to feel like Xander still has all of these feelings for me because he doesn't. It's over between us, and he knows that. I know that you likes you a lot. He's just...very protective of me is all." "It's cool, B," Faith said breezily. "I'm five by five. You don't have to give me one of your famous Buffy Summers' pep talks. Just 'cause we went on a date doesn't mean I expect a commitment from him or something. Right now I just kinda don't want him to bleed to death." "Are you sure?" "Girl Scout's honor," Faith said. "Faith, you were never-" "Yeah, yeah, I know. I was never in Girl Scouts. So what? People would never know if you'd stop telling 'em," Faith said with a smirk, giving Buffy a little wink before disappearing back inside to collect Xander. "That girl is something else, you know that?" Angel commented. "Yeah, I know," Buffy said with a smile. "Now what do you say you take me home? It can be your first act as my new boyfriend. I think I've had enough excitement for one night." "Actually I think I want my first act as your new boyfriend to be this," he said, leaning in for a kiss. She smiled against his lips, kissing him back thoroughly. ******************************************************* For the next few months, everything went fairly well. Buffy avoided Xander, Xander avoided Angel, and neither of the brothers let their father know what had happened. Buffy never let Riley know what had happened that night either and so Riley and Xander continued to be the best of friends. Angel and Buffy were inseparable, and to everyone's surprise, Xander and Faith became an official couple. Everything was going just fine until the day that Xander received the phone call. It happened on a Saturday morning. Everyone was gone for the day except Xander. His parents had gone off to see his grandparents for the weekend, and Angel was off with Buffy for the day. Xander had decided to take advantage of the quiet house and sleep late. Then he would get up and shower and head over to Faith's for dinner. It all started out innocent enough. At about ten thirty, however, the shrill sound of the phone ringing woke Xander up. At first, he intended on just letting the machine pick up, but something made him change his mind. He dragged himself out of bed and down the hall to his parents' room. There he flopped down on the bed and snatched the phone off of it's cradle. "Hello?" he said groggily. "Who is this?" a sultry female voice asked from the other end of the line. "Huh? This is Xander Harris. Whom are you trying to reach?" he asked, stifling a big yawn. He groaned inwardly, thinking there went his peaceful morning of sleeping late and just relaxing. "Xander? You are just the person I was hoping to talk to," the voice said smoothly. "Who is this?" Xander asked, beginning to get a little put off by the mystery woman. "This is Darla," the voice said. "And don't hang up. Just hear me out and then if you decide that you don't like what you hear, feel free to hang up." "I'm feeling pretty free to hang up on you right now," Xander said coldly. "What do you want, Darla?" "I have a little proposition for you," she said. "Sorry, not interested. Go spread your STDs somewhere else," he snapped. "Not that kind of proposition, you little fuck," Darla hissed, her voice taking on a hard edge. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm talking about another proposition. This has to do with your brother and that little blonde that he has been hanging all over." "You mean Buffy?" Xander asked without thinking. When he realized that he had given Darla Buffy's name, he cursed himself silently. "Buffy is it? What a cute name," Darla said venomously. "You used to date her, didn't you?" "How the hell do you know all of this stuff?" Xander demanded. "I have my sources," she said. "You *did* used to date her then?" "Yeah, so? What's your point?" "And you would like to get her back?" "I guess so, but I still don't see where you are going with this," Xander said. "It's not really that complicated, you twit. I want Angel back, you want Bunny back-" "Buffy," Xander corrected. "What the fuck ever!" Darla yelled. "I'm not concerned about the correct pronunciation of her name. What I'm worried about is how to rip your brother and her apart. Think about it, Xander," she said, her voice becoming silky and seductive. "You could have the girl, I could have your brother. It would work out great for both of us." "And just what makes you think I would help you, Darla?" Xander asked. "Angel is my brother. True, he is a pretty sorry son of a bitch, but he's still my flesh and blood." "Your flesh and blood who doesn't give a flying fuck about you, you mean," Darla pointed out. "Think about it, Xander. What has Angel ever done for you? From what I understand, he stole your little princess right out from under your nose." "You know what, you bitch? I'm about two seconds from hanging up the fucking phone, so if there is anything else that you have to add to this conversation, you'd better say it now," Xander growled at her. "Now, now, Xander, let's be civil," she said icily. "This deal could be good for both of us. Now do I have your ear, because I would really like to share the details of this plan with you if you are willing." Xander paused for a long moment. He really, *really* wanted to tell Darla to go straight to hell and hang up for her but part of him was intrigued by the thought of getting Buffy back. He hated seeing his brother walking around with Buffy on his arm, acting as if he really believed he was good enough for her. He didn't deserve someone like Buffy. Making his decision, Xander took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "Okay, Darla, let's hear it. But keep in mind that I'm not agreeing to anything yet. If I think that this is a bad idea, or if I think that Buffy is going to be hurt in any way, there is no deal. Are we clear?" "Crystal," Darla replied. "Now, if you are through babbling like an idiot, I'll get down to business. Now listen carefully, little Xander, because you are about to hear the most ingenious plan ever thought of." Chapter 8 Xander listened to everything Darla had to say with a sick knot in the pit of his stomach. He had known the girl was bad news, but he'd had no idea how sick and truly twisted she was until then. He also never realized how much of a traitor he was until he heard himself agree to help her with her little plan. He tried to rationalize it to himself even though he knew that what he had agreed to do was very, very wrong. He didn't really play *that* big of a role in the plan, he told himself. She could very easily pull this thing off without him. Really all he was doing was making sure that his brother and Buffy were at the right place at the right time. After that, all he had to do was to encourage Buffy to distrust his brother, which is really what he had been doing all along anyway. And Buffy *deserved* to know that truth about his brother. Hell, he was doing her a favor. He tried hard to justify what he was doing, he really did. Unfortunately for Xander, however, while you can fool everybody some of the time, and some people all of the time, it is much more difficult to fool yourself. The heart feels what the heart feels, and Xander's heart knew that it was wrong. Still, the chance to have Buffy back in his arms outweighed the guilt he felt, and he had already told Darla that he would go along with the plan. He wasn't about to back out now because, though he would never willingly admit it to anyone, he was pretty sure that Darla could be quite the hellcat and it kind of scared him. Just before he had hung up with her an hour before, she warned him that he'd better not tell anyone about the plan if he knew what was good for him. He sighed heavily, rolling over onto his back and staring up at the ceiling. He hoped that Angel was enjoying today with Buffy because it was going to be his last. His brother was finally getting what he deserved. ******************************************************* Buffy had never had so much fun in her entire life. Her day with Angel had been filled with so many wonderful things that she wondered where she had found the energy to do them all. They had gone out for brunch, caught a matinee, went to play Put Putt golf, and then went horseback riding. The day had been wonderful. In fact, the last few months had been wonderful. She had never been as happy in her entire life as she was with Angel at her side. He made her feel safe and protected, not to mention beautiful and special. When he was with her, he gave her his full attention and showered her with affection. She couldn't have asked for a better boyfriend, and that's why it still confused her so much that his own brother would such horrible things about him. She had never realized that Xander could be such a jealous person. She hadn't really spoken to him since the night that Angel had sent him to the hospital. He still came over to her house every once in awhile to see her brother, but Buffy was so rarely at home herself that most of the time she managed to avoid him. She sighed heavily, deciding that it was time to put the whole thing out of her head. What mattered now was that she and Angel were together, and no one was ever going to rip them apart. "Are we almost there?" she asked, returning her attention back to her date. "Just a little farther, I promise," Angel said, guiding her along carefully. He had blindfolded her after they had finished horseback riding, and she had remained that way the whole way here...wherever here was. It didn't really matter to her...she would let Angel lead her anywhere. She felt the warmth of the last rays of sunshine against her skin, and in the distance she was sure that she heard the rumbling of the ocean. She couldn't wait to see where they were. Angel had insisted on the blindfold, wanting this to be a big surprise. She felt very confident that whatever he had planned was going to be wonderful. "Okay," he said after a few more minutes. "We are here. Let's take off that blindfold." He gently untied the scarf from around her head and tucked it into his pocket, waiting to see what her reaction would be. The site that greeted Buffy's eyes was absolutely spectacular. He had brought her to a view spot overlooking the ocean, and from where she stood, she had a perfect view of the ocean and the sun setting behind it. Everything around them seemed to take on a golden tint as the continued to slowly sink beneath the horizon. There simply were no words to describe the beauty of the place. It left her absolutely breathless as she looked around at the wildflowers that dotted the landscape, at the sparkling ocean below them, at the gorgeous sunset, which painted the sky rich, beautiful shades of pink, orange, and yellow. "Wow," she said feebly. "This place is so...wow." "I take it that you like?" Angel asked her with a smile. She nodded enthusiastically. "Good," Angel said, very pleased with himself for choosing such a romantic place. "I also brought a picnic basket. I thought we could watch the sunset while we eat. What do you think?" "I think that is a great idea," she said eagerly. "I'm starving." Her stomach growled loudly then, as if to confirm her words, and she giggled. "See, told you so," she said with a laugh, patting her flat tummy. "Well, we will just have to remedy that, now won't we," Angel said, smiling at his little blonde goddess. He set the picnic basket on the ground and opened it, pulling out a red and white checked blanket, spreading it on the ground. "Have a seat," he told her as he began to unpack the food that he had brought. She obliged, sitting down on the blanket, her mouth watering already at the prospect of food. As soon as he had unpacked all of the food from the basket, Angel joined her on the blanket. "Okay, so we have probably just about everything you can imagine here," he muttered, opening all of the containers of food and inspecting them to make sure that nothing had spoiled. "I brought some cold chicken, some macaroni salad, cheese cubes, crackers, caviar, and some fruit. I didn't know what you would like and what you wouldn't, so I brought a variety." "Wow, it all sounds so great," Buffy said happily. "Well, maybe everything but the caviar." She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Fish eggs. Yuck!" "Have you ever even tried caviar?" he asked her. "Well, no, but I am absolutely positive that I don't want to either," she insisted. "Give me macaroni salad any day." She sat up on her knees and reached for the container of macaroni salad, but he batted her hand away gently. "Hey!" she protested. "No ma'am," he said sternly. "We have rules at this picnic...well, only one actually. You are not allowed to feed yourself." He pushed her back gently until she was sitting again and then stood up. "But first, how about a little music?" He walked back towards his car and came back a moment later with a small portable radio, a few candles, and what looked like a bottle of wine. Setting the radio down in the grass beside him, he turned it on and flipped through the stations until he found one that was playing soft, romantic music. Then, he placed the candles around the blanket and lit them, careful to keep them far enough away from the blanket that it wouldn't catch on fire. "I brought this wine from home," he told her hesitantly. "If you don't want to have any, you don't have to. I also brought bottled water and soda, but I just thought that wine might be a little more romantic." Buffy knew that she was smiling goofily at him, but she just couldn't help it. He was so sweet and thoughtful! "Wine is fine," she assured him. "I just won't have very much." He smiled back at her in relief while he dug around in the bottom of the picnic basket for two glasses. He had been afraid that she would get mad at him for bringing the wine, afraid that she would think he was just trying to get her drunk or something. Angel wasn't very experienced at the whole romance thing. Mostly, he was just used to hard fucks and cheap girls, but Buffy was different. He truly did want to be a better man for her. His hands shook a little as he poured the wine for them and handed her a glass. He couldn't believe that he was this nervous around her considering how experienced he was with women. It was ridiculous! If any of his old friends could see him now, they would laugh their asses off. "This is for you also," he said, producing a single long stemmed red rose from out of the basket. "Oh, Angel, it's beautiful," she breathed, taking the rose and lifting it delicately to her nose. She craned her neck and tried to peer into the basket. "My, my, what else do you have in there, Mr. Harris? Does that basket even have a bottom?" He chuckled lightly. "I just wanted everything to be perfect," he said sincerely. "It *is* perfect," she said softly. She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "Now do you think you could possibly feed me? I'm starving here." "Well, I suppose so," he said, faking a big sigh. "Can't have you starving now, can I? But you have to at least *try* the caviar." "Fine, fine," she said reluctantly. "At this point, I would probably eat nearly anything." She watched him warily as he took a cracker and spread the fish egg goop onto it. He held it out to her, and taking a deep breath, she leaned forward and took a bite. Chewing slowly, she realized that it wasn't as horrible as she thought that it would be. "Well?" "It's actually pretty good," she admitted. "But not nearly enough to fill me up." "I didn't expect it would be," he said with a smile. It never failed to amaze him how much food Buffy could consume, yet she didn't gain a pound. He often wondered where she put it all. He fed her a cube of cheese, she fed him some chicken, and so they fed each other the meal, savoring the delightful flavors of the food almost as much as they enjoyed each other's company. After they had polished off most of the meal, Angel picked up the container of fruit. "Do you have any room for dessert?" "Are you kidding me? Dessert is the whole point of the meal," she said. "I'll take that as a yes," he said with a smile. He picked up a strawberry and held it out to her, waiting for her to take a bite. Leaning forward, she snaked out her tongue and wetted her lips before taking a bite of the plump, juicy berry, giggling as the juice ran down her chin. She wiped it off with a napkin and then leaned in to finish the piece of fruit off. Angel's eyes widened as he felt her take his finger into her mouth along with the rest of the berry, sucking on it gently before pulling back to chew and swallow the fruit. He vaguely wondered if she was trying to drive him insane as she sat back and batted her eyelashes at him innocently. Desperate to get him mind off of her sweet, hot mouth and his throbbing cock, he stood up and held his hand out to her. "Would you like to dance?" "I would love to," she said, accepting his hand and allowing her to pull her to her feet. It had began to grow dark, but the candlelight provided all the light they needed as he took her into his arms and they began to sway slowly to the melody of the song playing on the radio. //There was a time I was everything and nothing all in one When you found me I was feeling like a cloud across the sun I need to tell you How you light up every second of the day But in the moonlight You just shine like a beacon on the bay And I can't explain But it's something about the way you look tonight Takes my breath away It's that feeling I get about you, deep inside And I can't describe But it's something about the way you look tonight Takes my breath away The way you look tonight With your smile You pull the deepest secrets from my heart In all honesty I'm speechless and I don't know where to start And I can't explain But it's something about the way you look tonight Takes my breath away It's that feeling I get about you, deep inside And I can't describe But it's something about the way you look tonight Takes my breath away The way you look tonight And I can't explain But it's something about the way you look tonight Takes my breath away It's that feeling I get about you, deep inside And I can't describe But it's something about the way you look tonight Takes my breath away The way you look tonight// Neither Buffy nor Angel noticed when the song ended because they were much too caught up in one another. As the last chords of the song rang through the night air, Angel leaned down and brushed his lips softly against hers in what began as a soft, tentative kiss but soon grew much more passionate and intense. He ran his hands through her soft, silky blonde hair, breathing in the scent of her deeply. She responded to him immediately, pressing her tiny little body against his, her tongue massaging his in his mouth. She felt her heart skip a beat as she felt his erection poke against her stomach. He was now harder than he had been before, and this time it was much more noticeable. Slowly, shyly, she snaked her hand down and in between them, stroking the bulge in the front of his pants softly. He groaned loudly, pulling back from their kiss reluctantly. "Buffy, don't," he gasped urgently. "Please, I can't take it. I can't have you touch me like that and then have nothing happen..." "Shhh," she whispered, touching her index finger to his lips to silence him. "I don't think you have to worry about that tonight." His eyes widened at the implication of her words. "Are you s-sure?" he asked, his voice hoarse with desire. She nodded her head slightly. "Make love to me, Angel," she said, her eyes sparkling in the candlelight. She took his hand in hers and gently tugged him down onto the blanket with her. Clearing away the food with a wide sweep of his arm, he laid her down gently on the soft, thick blanket and kissed her lips tenderly. "I love you, Buffy," he said as he allowed his hands to roam her body, skimming along her stomach and upward to cup one of her full breasts. She moaned softly as he squeezed it lightly, pulling him over on top of her. "I love you, too," she said softly, her fingers reaching up to unbutton his shirt. She quickly skimmed it down his arms and tossed it aside, reaching eagerly for the button and zipper of his pants. "Whoa, easy there," he said, batting her hands away. "I want to go slow, Buffy. I want to make this special for you." And he did. He really meant what he said. He knew that it was her first time, and he wanted to make it a special experience for her. Raising her arms above her head and pinning them there gently, he used his free hand to unbutton her shirt, opening it to reveal a simply white lace brace. Leaning down, he captured one pert nipple in his mouth, laving it with his tongue as she arched against him, whimpering in need. He switched to the other nipple after a moment, lavishing the same attention on it before moving down to pepper soft, feathery kisses along her stomach. Releasing her hands, he pulled her up into a sitting position long enough to remove her shirt and bra and then laid her back down gently. His hands found the button and zipper of her jeans and worked quickly to unfasten them, hooking his thumbs under the waistband and pulling them and her underwear down her legs slowly. Buffy raised her hips to help him, making it easier for him to remove the annoying piece of clothing. Her whole body felt like it was on fire, but most of the heat was centered between her legs where she felt an aching unlike any she had ever experienced. She was now completely bared to him, but she didn't feel the slightest bit uncomfortable. She trusted her Angel completely. He looked up at her with concern etched across his face. "Buffy, if at anytime you want me to stop what I'm doing, you just tell me, okay?" She nodded slightly, frustration building up inside of her along with need. Placing a hand on either of her thighs, he parted her legs gently and paused for a moment, drinking in the site of her femininity. She is absolutely beautiful, he thought to himself. Her sex glistened even in the dim light, and he couldn't believe how wet and ready she was for him. He inhaled deeply, breathing in the heady scent of her arousal before leaning forward and parting her lips gently with his tongue. He heard her gasp as soon as his tongue had made contact with her sex, but he could tell that it was a gasp of pure pleasure. He began to lick her slowly up and down, flatting his tongue so that there was not one inch of her that he missed. Up and down, sometimes circling slowly around her clit, he continued his ministrations. When he stiffened his tongue and pushed it slowly into her tight little hole, he felt her arch completely off of the blanket. He smiled at how responsive she was to his every touch. Deciding that it was time to end her torment, he fastened his lips around her swollen clit, alternating suckling it and lashing it mercilessly with his tongue. In what seemed like a matter of seconds, he heard give a strangled cry as he felt her legs tighten around his head and her vaginal muscles begin to flutter. He opened his mouth hungrily as her essence gushed forward, coating his mouth and chin. He lapped every drop of it up hungrily as he expertly brought her back down to earth. Then, after taking the time to wipe the moisture off of his face, he slid back up her body and kissed her softly. She looked at him with slightly glazed eyes, her skin flushed and her chest heaving. She could taste herself on his lips, and it only made her want him more. As if reading her mind, he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small foil packet. After shedding his pants and underwear, he carefully tore the packet open and pulled out the small, circular piece of latex, rolling it expertly over his shaft. Buffy's eyes widened at the size of him, wondering how he was ever going to fit into her small body. "This is going to hurt a little, you know that, right?" he asked her softly. She nodded, her eyes still wide. Angel sensed her anxiety and gave her a reassuring smile. "Just relax, baby. It'll only hurt at first. I promise that I'm going to make this good for you." He reached down and positioned himself at her entrance, pausing to make sure that she was ready. "Okay?" She nodded, and he began to push into her slowly. When he felt himself break the barrier of her virginity and heard her little yelp of pain, he winced. "Are you okay?" he asked her. She nodded, biting her lip hard. She hadn't expected it to hurt *that* much. After giving her a moment to adjust to his size, he began to thrust in and out of her slowly, resisting the urge he felt to pound into her furiously. She felt so fucking *good*. "Mmm, baby, you are so fucking tight, do you know that? So fucking tight and so hot," he murmured, closing his eyes tightly. This 'taking it slow' thing was killing him, but he knew it was worth it when he felt her relax a little and begin to respond to him. The soft moans and whispers that were coming from her lips were driving him crazy, and he didn't know how much longer he was going to be able to hold out. "Baby, I'm going to bend your leg up a little, okay? It'll make things feel even better, I promise." He bent her leg up, hooking it over his shoulder and giving him a new angle, causing them both to gasp in pleasure. He grit his teeth as he continued to thrust inside of her, and when he felt her muscles begin to flutter, he knew that he was a goner. They came at the same time, their bodies shuddering together as they held each other tight. When it was over, Angel pulled out of her slowly and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Did you enjoy that, baby?" he asked her, rolling over beside her and pulling her against him. She nodded sleepily. "It was the most special moment of my entire life," she told him, snuggling up against him. "I love you, Angel." "I love you, too, Buffy," he said. And so, laying there together under the stars, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking, the two lovers dozed off peacefully, unaware of the pain and heartache that tomorrow would bring for them. Chapter 9 When Angel and Buffy finally made it back to the Harris' house, it was very late. Xander had intended to wait up for them after he had returned from Faith's house earlier that evening, but he had eventually fallen asleep on the couch in the living room. The sound of a key turning in the lock and the front door opening woke him up with a start, and he sat up, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was one o'clock in the morning. He didn't have to wonder who was home since his parents were out of town, or wonder what they had been doing because he could tell by the sound of their voices and the looks on their faces when they walked into the living room what had happened between them that night. He knew, and that knowledge fueled his jealousy and hatred of his brother, driving him onward to carry out the plan that he and Darla had plotted just that afternoon. The moment that Buffy and Angel spotted him setting on the couch, their laughter died in their throats. "Xander, what are you still doing up?" Angel asked stiffly. "Actually, I was waiting up for you two," Xander said, swinging his feet down onto the floor. "Please, I would like to talk to both of you. There is something I need to say." Buffy and Angel exchanged wary looks as they sat down together on the loveseat, directly across from Xander. "What's this all about, Xander?" Angel asked his little brother. "Because if you are trying to cause more trouble, just spare us now. I'm not going to let you ruin this night for us." He took Buffy's small hand in his much larger one and gave it a reassuring squeeze, and Buffy felt a swell of love swell up inside of her for her boyfriend. "I understand why you would think that," Xander said frankly, "but my intentions are really much more honorable. I want to apologize for the way that I have acted. I realize now that it was wrong, and that I was acting out of jealousy. Buffy, you are such a wonderful girl, and when I lost you, I just didn't know what to do. I only felt worse when I realized that you and my brother were falling for each other. I have come to realize that I was wrong to act the way I did. I care very much about you and just want to see you happy, and if you're happiest with my brother, then who am I to stand in the way?" Buffy and Angel sat on the couch, frozen in shock and surprise. Buffy was very impressed with the way Xander was swallowing his pride and admitting that he was wrong, but she still wasn't sure she was ready to forgive him. Meanwhile, it hadn't escaped Angel that Xander wasn't really apologizing both of them as much as he was apologizing to Buffy. While it pleased him that Xander was apologizing to Buffy, he had the sneaking suspicion that Xander wasn't really sorry at all but was merely trying to get back in Buffy's good graces. "Well, Xander, I'm glad to hear that," Buffy said, breaking the heavy silence that hung in the room. "It's good to know that we can all be adults about this. The truth is that Angel and I are going to be together no matter what, but it really makes it easier and much more pleasant if you are accepting of the idea." "I want you to know that I sincerely want you to be happy," Xander said. "I just hope that you both can forgive me for my actions of late. It was stupid and immature of me, and I really am sorry." "Well, Xander, I'm going to be honest with you. It's going to take time to get past all of the things you have said and done, but tonight has been a good start," Buffy said with a smile. "Angel?" Xander said, a questioning tone in his voice. "Blood is thicker than water, right?" Angel said lightly, not feeling very sincere. "If Buffy can forgive you, I guess I can, too." Xander smiled brightly. "That's great," he said clapping his hands together. "Hey, I have a great idea. Buffy, why don't you just spend the night here? It's so late anyway, and tomorrow, we can all spend the day together and work on patching things up. We can rent movies and order takeout food. It will be great." "Well, actually, I already planned on staying," Buffy said, blushing slightly. "I told my uncle that I was spending the night at Willow's." "In fact, why don't we call it a night, baby?" Angel suggested. "I'm kind of beat." "Sounds like a good idea to me," Buffy said with a secretive smile. "Great," Xander said with a plastic smile. "Buffy, you can have my room if you want, and I'll sleep down here, or you can sleep in our parents' room." "That's okay, Xand, I think I'm just going to crash in Angel's room," she said, blushing again. "Oh, uh, okay," Xander said awkwardly. "Well, see you tomorrow then." "Yeah, see you tomorrow," Buffy said, giving him a little wave before heading upstairs with Angel. ******************************************************* Once upstairs and safely behind Angel's closed bedroom door, Buffy wrapped her arms around Angel's neck and kissed him passionately. Angel grunted in surprise, winding his strong arms around her narrow waist and pulling her closer. When they finally broke apart, he looked at her with raised eyebrows. "What was that for?" he asked lightly. "I just love you so much, and I'm so happy that Xander has came to terms with our relationship," she said. "I feel like everything is coming together, you know? In fact, I think I may be the luckiest girl in the world." "Well, if you are happy, I'm happy. So are you ready to go to bed?" he asked her, brushing her hair back from her face tenderly. "Mmm-hmm," she said with a smile. "But I don't have anything to wear to bed." "You can wear one of my t-shirts," Angel offered, rummaging through his drawers until he found a clean one and tossing it to her. "I think it should fit." Buffy caught the t-shirt and held it up against her little body. "I think it'll fit just fine," she told him," but why don't I just put it on later. In fact, I feel much too overdressed right now." She gave him a coy smile before lifting her shirt up over her head and tossing it aside. His eyes raked over her hungrily, and he could feel his pants tighten in response. "Are you sure you're not too sore?" he asked, even as he was removing his own clothes. "Well, I've always been taught that the best way to get rid of soreness is to work it out," she said. "I think that is a good policy," he said, lifting her off of her feet and carrying her to his bed. ******************************************************* Xander laid in his bed that night listening to the sounds of lust coming from his brother's bedroom next door. He could hear every moan and murmur clearly, and every time he heard Buffy cry out, his cock twitched in response. Sighing heavily, he threw back the comforter and sheets and reached his hand down into his boxer shorts, stroking his fully erect cock. He closed his eyes and listened as she moaned and whimpered softly, imagining that it was her hand that was stroking him, that it was his name she was calling out. As thoughts of a naked Buffy floated through his mind, his hand began to move quicker and his grip became tighter, and as he heard her cries of ecstasy as she climaxed, it triggered his own orgasm. He felt his cock jerk in his hand as his semen spurted all over his fingers and he laid there, staring up at the ceiling, his chest heaving. A cold smile crept across his lips as he thought about what tomorrow would bring. After tomorrow, he wouldn't have to pretend anymore...tomorrow, she would be send straight into his arms. ******************************************************* The next morning, Buffy and Angel slept in late while Xander waited in anticipation for the agreed upon time to roll around. Eventually, the two lovers rolled out of bed and showered, coming downstairs to watch a little television. The entire morning, Xander's eyes were glued to the clock, and when one o'clock rolled around and the doorbell rang, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I'll get it," Angel said, standing up and giving Buffy a quick kiss on the forehead. Then he walked into the foyer and swung the door open, freezing when he saw who was on the other side, his smile fading quickly into a grimace. "Darla..." "Hey lover, long time no see," she purred, slipping past him and through the door. "Darla, what are you *doing* here?" Angel asked impatiently. He gave Buffy an apologetic look, but he knew that he would own her more than that by the time that Darla left. Darla had always been able to make one hell of a scene, and the fact that he had rejected her for Buffy meant that anything could happen. There was no telling what was going to come out of her mouth. "Well, it's not a social visit, I'll tell you that much right now," Darla said tersely. "In fact, I'd rather not be here at all, having to watch you and your little schoolgirl bimbo drooling all over each other. It's sickening really. It wasn't like that when you were *my* boy. No, you weren't nearly so pathetic." Buffy's face was now flaming red, and Angel noted that her little hands were clenched into fists at her side. He decided that now was the time to really step in before things got way out of hand. Besides, no one talked to his girl like that, particularly not cheap whores like Darla. "Newsflash, Darla," he said, his anger flaring to the surface. "I'm not your boy anymore. And when we were together? It was all right but it didn't hold a candle to Buffy, it never could and it never will." He watched as her face hardened and tears filled her eyes. He knew exactly which buttons to push. "You think you're so different now, but you're not. One of these days you are going to realize that that little girl isn't enough to satisfy your appetite. You need a real woman," she purred, running her index finger down his chest. She winced a little in pain when he grabbed her roughly by the wrist, holding her hand away from him. "If that's all you came here to say, I really think it's time you left," Angel gritted out between clenched teeth. Darla laughed gleefully. "Silly boy, you think I would really come all of this way to stand in your living room and tell you what you already know...well, at least what you already know deep down in your heart? Of course not! I came to tell you that I'm pregnant, and the baby is yours." She smiled at him smugly, a very satisfied look on her face. "What?!" Angel and Buffy both exclaimed at the same time. "You're lying," Angel said angrily. "Am I? I have the doctor's report out in my car if you really want me to prove it to you," she told him. "Yeah? Well go get it," Angel said, unwillingly to believe her words. "Fine," she said curtly, turning on her heel and marching out to her car. She wasn't gone long enough for Angel and Buffy to exchange words, but he could see the hurt and confusion written across the blonde's beautiful face and he felt his heart lurch in his chest. Buffy looked ready to bolt out of the house at any time, and he didn't blame her one bit. He felt like running away from the whole situation himself. "Here you go," Darla said, unceremoniously shoving the papers toward Angel. He took them with shaking hands, reading over them carefully. His face turned ashen white as his eyes skimmed the words on the paper over and over, and he stumbled backwards into a chair, finding it too difficult to stand. Buffy felt her heart sink in her chest when she saw his reaction, and she knew it must be true. She fought back tears as she gently took the papers from him to have a look for herself. "So... when did this happen?" Angel managed to choke out. "You know exactly when it happened," Darla said icily. "About three months ago? Your pool?" "Angel? Did you... and Darla...?" Buffy asked, her voice barely audible. She looked at him with tears glistening in her eyes, not wanting to believe that it was all true, even though she was holding evidence to the contrary in her hands. She remembered the day in question well, the day she had walked in on Angel and Darla locked in a passionate embrace in the pool. The day Angel had chased her down and swore to her that it was just a kiss, that nothing more had happened, that she was the only one that meant anything to him. Her eyes locked onto Angel's for a long moment, silently begging him to tell her that her suspicions were wrong. Angel squirmed in his seat uncomfortably, casting his eyes down to his lap. Guilt weighed on him like a ton of bricks sitting on his chest, and suddenly the room seemed very suffocating to him. "Well, uhhhhh... this is impossible," he said weakly. "Tell me about it, 'Daddy'," Darla sneered. "You slept with her?" Buffy asked numbly, a dazed look on her face. "Buffy, I-" "Did you or did you not look me in the eye and say that nothing like that happened between you two that day?" she accused, glaring at him angrily. "Oh, he lied? What a surprise," Darla said sarcastically. "Darla, just shut the fuck up, okay? You aren't helping matters here," he snapped at her. "Oh damn, and that was my intentions all along...to *help* you," Darla said coldly. Angel ignored her biting remarks, focusing his attention on Buffy. "Buffy, I'm sorry I lied but...I was just afraid that if I told you the truth, I would lose you. I really did mean what I said that day. Darla means nothing to me. I love *you*." "Oh, I see," Buffy said, jumping to her feet. "You really love me, but your dick just accidentally jumped out of your pants all by itself." "Buffy, please just give me a chance to explain," Angel pleaded, grabbing her arm in a desperate attempt to keep her from running out on him. She jerked his arm away furiously, then slapped him hard across the face. "I think I've heard enough to know that I don't want to be here right now. In fact, I don't even want to know you." With that, she turned and ran out the door. Angel could only sit and watch helplessly as the love of his life ran out of his house and out of his life. "I hope you're happy," he told Darla numbly. "Oh, I am," she said, her voice dripping with venom. "Good. Now get out," he said in a cold voice. "What? No, I'm not leaving until we talk about this baby," Darla said firmly. "You know, you can't just kick me out of your life whenever you want to anymore. I'm carrying your child, Angel. That means you have responsibilities to both of us." "Let's get one thing straight, Darla," Angel said, rising to his feet to tower over her. "I may have an obligation to my child, but I do *not* have one to you. I don't owe you anything, and we need to be clear on something right now. I will always be in my child's life, but that doesn't mean that you are going to be in mine. Just because you are carrying that baby doesn't mean that I will take you back. It's over between you and I, Darla, and I mean for good." "You say that now, *Daddy*, but you just wait until the next time you get horny," Darla said with a smug smile. "If you'll remember correctly, that's how we got in this position to begin with." "I don't understand it," Angel said, thinking aloud. "We didn't even really have sex, and neither one of us came." "Doesn't matter," Darla told him. "If you knew as much as you think you do, you would know that sexual intercourse really isn't necessary for a child to be conceived. In fact, women have gotten pregnant with no penetration at all, but you, you were inside me. All it takes is one sperm, Angel, one sperm that could have easily came from your precum. Now be a man and stop trying to weasel your way out of this. I have a doctor's appointment next week, and I expect you to be there." "Yeah, fine, whatever," Angel said absently. "I'll call you." "You do that," Darla said with a wide grin. Then she sauntered out the door, leaving Angel to deal with the fact that his entire world had just came crashing down around him. Chapter 10 Angel hadn't seen or talked to Buffy since the day that Darla had made her little announcement. In fact, *no one* had seen her because she had not been out of the house in almost a week, not even to go to school. Every day, Riley brought home her assignments, and every day he took them back to school and turned them in for her. Every time Angel tried to call her, the phone was slammed down in his ear, either by her or by her brother, and even Xander didn't get to speak with her when he tried to call. It was obvious to everyone that Buffy Summers did not want to interact with the outside world. The only person that she would see at all was Faith, who kept her up to date on all of the happenings, at school *and* at the Harris household. "I'm telling you, B, the boy looks like he's ready to off himself at any given moment," Faith told her one night while the two girls sat in Buffy's room. "Yeah, well, he'd be doing all of womankind a favor," Buffy said bitterly. "Look, I know that you're mad at Angel, B, and I get that," Faith said. "But the boy seems to be really heartbroken. No matter what kind of guy he was before, he seems to have changed. He really seems into you, and I *know* that you are into him." "WERE," Buffy corrected her, studying her fingernails nonchalantly. "As in past tense." "Were, are, and always will be," Faith countered, rolling her eyes at her friend's stubbornness. "Come on, Buffy, if you won't be honest with me, at least be honest with yourself. I've seen the two of you together, and you are as into him as he is into you, which means you both have to be going through some pretty wicked pain right now." "Yeah, but *he* deserves it," Buffy grumbled. "I don't." "Geez, Buffy, give the guy a break already," Faith said. "I'm not saying what he did was right, but-" "He *slept* with another girl and got her *pregnant*," Buffy interrupted. "How am I supposed to forgive something like that?" "Buffy, you weren't even together yet," Faith pointed out. "I mean, okay, he sent you flowers but it's not like you guys were a couple or anything." Buffy thought about what Faith was saying for a moment. As much as she hated to admit it, the brunette did have a point. She had only met Angel the day before the incident in the pool, so it wasn't as if he actually owed her anything at all. Still, he wasn't getting off the hook that easily. "Okay, so you are right about the whole sleeping with her thing," she admitted reluctantly. "But still, he had sent me flowers, which meant that he was trying to woo me, which *meant* that he shouldn't have been screwing another girl. But even getting past that, Faith, he is going to be a father. I'm nineteen years old, too damn young to have to worry about dating a man with a child. I'm just not ready for that." "And what about him, B?" Faith asked. "How do you think he feels? Look, we both know that sympathy isn't my think, mostly because my life sucks a lot more than most people's, but I really feel sorry for him. He's just twenty-two himself, B, and now he is having to face the responsibility of being a father." "I never really thought of it that way," Buffy admitted. "I guess I was being kind of selfish." Faith shot her a look. "Okay, so I was being really selfish," Buffy amended. "I know that Angel is going through a lot right now, and I almost feel bad for him, but it's kind of hard when he made the decision himself to sleep with that skank. Now he has to face the consequences. It's going to be hard, it's going to be painful, and it's going to be everyday, but he has to take responsibility for his actions. As for he and I, it's over," she said firmly. "I couldn't take him back even if I wanted to because I would have to worry the whole time that he might be off sleeping with Darla behind my back." "I don't think you have to worry about him sleeping with her or any other girl for that matter," Faith told her. "I was over at Xander's just last night and overheard Angel talking to her on the phone. Apparently, he is supposed to go with her to the doctor or something. Anyway, it sounded like they were arguing or something because he was really pissed. He told her that she might have ruined any chance he had with you, but that didn't mean that he was going to go running into her arms. He said that before he met you that he thought about her all the time, thought about fucking her every way imaginable, but that since he met you, he hasn't thought about another girl once. He told her that he loved you, B, and that he would always love you so she shouldn't get hold her breath waiting for him to decide that he wants to be back in her life." Buffy squeezed her eyes shut, wishing that she could just forget this last part of the conversation. She didn't want to feel sorry for Angel. She didn't want to hear how much he loved her and how hurt he was. She wanted to forget all about him, or at the very least get over him as best as she could, no matter how hard it was. "Well, he shouldn't hold his breath waiting for me to take him back either," she said firmly. "Angel and I are over." Faith sighed heavily. "Well, fine, if that is the way you want things to be. If you want to move on, then I'm behind you all the way, B, but sitting here in your room and moping? That's not gonna get the job done. You need to get out and mingle, find you some other hottie to take your mind off of Angel. What do you say you and I hit the Bronze for a little fun and dance?" Buffy groaned silently to herself. The last thing she felt like doing right now was going to the Bronze, but she knew that Faith was right. She needed to get over Angel, and the first step in doing that was getting her mind off of him. "Okay, I'm in," she said, making a snap decision. "Give me ten minutes to get ready, and then we are out of here." ******************************************************* One of the first people that Buffy and Faith spotted at the Bronze was none other than Xander Harris himself. Buffy was a little nervous about facing him after the big scene the week before, but she knew that she owed him an apology and she was bound and determined to give him one. As she and Faith made their way through the crowd over to his table, she wondered what she was going to say to him. She felt absolutely horrible at how she had treated him lately, and when she remembered how he had apologized to her only a week before, she wanted to sink right through the floor. All along, Xander had only been trying to warn her about Angel, trying to protect her and keep her from getting hurt, but she wouldn't listen to him. She just accused him of lying because he was jealous, but now she believed that everything he had said had probably been true. She had just been to blind to see it, or maybe she just hadn't wanted to believe it, but either way, Xander had humbled himself enough to give her an apology that he didn't owe her just to make things good between them again. Now *she* was the one that owed *him* an apology, but she couldn't imagine what she could possibly say to make it up to him. When Buffy and Faith had finally managed to push their way through the crowd and over to Xander's table, he looked up at them in surprise. "Faith. Buffy. What are you guys doing here?" he asked awkwardly. "Actually, Faith brought me here to cheer me up a bit, but I'm really glad that you are here because there is something I want to talk to you about," Buffy told him. "Um, Faith, could you give us a minute alone?" Buffy asked, glancing over her shoulder at the brunette. "Yeah, sure," Faith said easily. "I'm just gonna go get something to drink. You guys want anything?" Both Buffy and Xander shook their heads no. "Okay, well, I'll be back in a few," Faith said as she began to weave her way through the crowd. An awkward silence hung between Xander and Buffy after Faith had left as Buffy tried to work up her nerve to tell him what she needed to say. "Um, Xander, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about everything that has been going on between the two of us over these last few months," she said, clearing her throat nervously. "I have acted like a complete bitch, and I can't tell you how sorry I am. You are my friend and I should have trusted you, but instead I trusted Angel, which in hindsight was probably the *worst* thing I could have done. I wish I could take back all of the horrible things I said to you, all of the unfair accusations I made, but I can't. All I can do is ask your forgiveness and hope that you have it in your heart to forgive me." Xander took her hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Buffy, don't worry about it, okay? All of that is in the past. I'm just sorry that my brother hurt you the way he did. I just want the best for you, Buffy. All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy, and well, I have always had the best intentions even though I know I could have handled things better." "We've both made mistakes, Xand," Buffy said. "I can forgive you for yours if you can forgive me for mine." Xander smiled widely. "Well, alright then, consider it done. So...friends?" "Friends," Buffy said, returning his smile. "Forever." She breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Xander was so forgiving. He really is a great guy, she thought to herself. Too bad it doesn't run in the family. "I'm glad to see you here tonight, Buff," Xander told her. "I was beginning to worry about you, you know? When you weren't at school Monday, I tried to call, but-" "Yeah, sorry about that," Buffy said. "I wasn't avoiding you personally or anything. I was pretty much avoiding the whole world in general. After the breakup...well, it's been hard, but I'll get through it. The fact is that I'd probably still be holed up in my room if it weren't for Faith. She's really been there for me through all of this, you know? You have a really great girlfriend, Xand." "Uh, yeah," Xander said slowly. "Faith is great, but I don't know. I just don't see things working out between us. We just don't...connect." "Really?" Buffy asked in surprise. "Yeah," Xander said, trying to sound sad about it. "I have been thinking about breaking it off for a while now. You know, before either one of us gets too attached." Yeah, right, he thought to himself. Why in the hell would I want Faith when I can have Buffy Summers? The truth was that he had just been killing time with Faith. She was a great girl and all, and he enjoyed her company, but there was really only one girl for him. If Darla hadn't called him with her clever little plan, he would have probably stuck with Faith until she decided to get rid of him, but now that he had a chance with Buffy, he wasn't about to pass it up. Before Buffy had a chance to respond to his statement, Faith had sauntered back to the table with a bottle of water. "Hey, B, there's someone up at the bar who would like to talk to you," Faith told her. "Said he's an old friend of yours or something." "Really? I wonder who it could be?" Buffy asked with a puzzled expression. "Don't know. Why don't you go find out," Faith said with a shrug. "Alright, I think I will," Buffy said, her curiosity getting the best of her. "I'll be back in a few, okay?" "Have fun," Faith said as she sat down in the seat Buffy had just vacated. A small smile played across her lips as she watched her friend disappear into the crowd. "What's with the big smiles?" Xander asked her nervously. "Oh nothing," Faith said casually. "Just call me Cupid." "What are you talking about?" Xander asked, his voice rising a little as his heart thumped loudly in his chest. "What did you do, Faith?" "I didn't *do* anything," she said defensively. "I just happened to see a certain handsome, dark headed guy sitting at the bar who looked awfully heartbroken and lonely, and I thought I'd send B his way. I knew she wouldn't go if she knew it was Angel, so I thought I'd just leave that little detail out. He doesn't even know we're here so it'll be a nice surprise for them both. That's the only way I could think of to get those two together and talking again." "You did *what*?" Xander asked angrily. "Hey, just chill, okay?" Faith said, holding her hands up. "What's your problem? I'm just trying to help them get back together." "That's the problem," Xander said in exasperation. "You had no right to do that. Buffy is going to be furious, and it's none of your business anyway." "Look, I'm just trying to help her out," Faith said, throwing her hands up in the air. "I've never seen Buffy as happy as when she was with Angel, and I mean *ever*. All she's been doing is moping in her room ever since the breakup. I know that she loves him, and there is no doubt in my mind that he loves her. They *have* to get back together." "Why would you want her to get back together with my brother? He's a complete asshole. Buffy can do way better than that." "Oh really? You mean like...you, for instance? You think that maybe you would be better for Buffy?" Faith asked, raising her eyebrows. "What? Well, yeah...I-I mean no..." he stammered. "Let me tell you something, Xander, you aren't fooling me for a minute," Faith said, narrowing her eyes. "I know that ever since Buffy and Angel broke up you have been hoping that she would come back to you. Well, you know what, Xander? It's not gonna happen, and if you try to stand in the way of my best friend's happiness, you're gonna have to deal with me, you understand? I don't want you interfering with their relationship. The only reason I'm not going to say anything to Buffy about this is that she has been through enough this past week without having to deal with the fact that you are a complete shit head, but I'm tellin' ya right now, Xander, don't push me or I *will* tell her." With that, she stood up, shoving her chair back with such force that it fell over with a loud clatter. She ignored it, turning on her heel and stepping over it on her way out of the Bronze. Xander swallowed hard, wishing that Faith wasn't so damn smart. ******************************************************* Buffy pushed her way through the crowd, trying desperately to make her way to the bar. Curiosity was burning inside of her as she craned her neck to try and get a look at the people sitting around the bar, but she was too short to see over everyone's heads. "Damn it," she muttered as realized her efforts were futile and resumed her pushing and shoving. Almost there, almost there, she chanted to herself. Finally, she managed to break through the throng of people that were milling around and hurried over to the bar. Her eyes scanned the people sitting there, some of them teenagers drinking espressos and cafe au lattes, some of them college kids nursing beers and mixed drinks. At first glance, she didn't see anyone that looked familiar to her. Puzzled, she sat down on a nearby stool and scanned the scene again. That's when she saw him sitting there, his head resting on the top of the bar, his hand wrapped around a bottle of beer. For a moment, she almost felt sorry for him. He looked so sad and pathetic sitting there all alone, drinking himself into a stupor. She stood up slowly and walked over to him, taking a seat on the stool beside him. Somehow, she had the sneaking suspicion that she had been set up, but that he wasn't behind it. Faith must have been trying to play matchmaker, Buffy thought, rolling her eyes. "Angel?" she asked hesitantly, placing a hand on his arm. To BE Continued....................