Author: Python Chick

Disclaimer: The only things I own in this story are Darren and the idea. The rest belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, The WB, etc.

Finished: November 3, 2000

~~ Buffy's Night Off ~~

Buffy stepped through the doors and peered around. She spied her friends sitting together at their usual table. Except for Cordelia. She was telling off Harmony, Aura, and the other flakes of Sunnydale High. They were probably giving her a hard time about dating Xander, as usual. Buffy smoothed out the creases in her red tank top and new leather pants.

Buffy walked over to where Xander, Oz, and Willow were and sat down. Willow being seated, as usual, on Oz's lap.

"Hey guys," Buffy said while her eyes searched the room.

"He's not here yet, Buff. You may be late, but he's later." Xander said. "You know him...always sweeping in at the last minute to say goodnight or warn you of danger." Then he added in a higher Buffy-mocking voice, "He's so dreamy."

"Oh yeah, like the Ice Queen is something special to rave about. All she does is bash you and your clothes." she retorted.

"Yeah, I see your point." he agreed, which received a raised eyebrow from Buffy.

"Speak of the devil...literally." Willow said putting on a plastic smile as Cordelia walked over to Xander and grabbed his arm. A slow song started playing softly through the nightclub.

"We're going to dance now," she ordered him. "And you're going to try not to make me look stupid. Not like you haven't already."

Xander smiled sarcastically at her. "Yes, Oh-Great-One." Although they said these sometimes-harsh words regularly, they both knew that they really loved each other.

As she dragged him off, Willow and Oz stood up and made their way to the dance floor too. Buffy sat at the table alone, not unlike many other nights, waiting for her boyfriend to arrive. *If he doesn't get here soon, he'll be sorry for the rest of his unlife.* She thought.

As the last song ended and a new slow song began, Buffy started to feel unimportant. *What else would he have to do tonight?* She wondered. *He's been around for over 240 years and still has hundreds more...what's one night to him?*

Buffy's loneliness devoured her until a young man came up to Buffy and asked her to dance. There was something oddly familiar about him and it took a few minutes for Buffy to place it. She took one last look around the room before accepting his invitation. She put his arms around his neck as he put his hands on her waist and laid her head on his chest.

As they swayed to the music, Angel entered the Bronze. He looked at his watch. *Buffy's gonna kill me.* He looked into the crowd and saw her dancing with someone else. They looked very comfortable. Angel's eyes narrowed and he growled as he stalked up towards them. He tapped the young man on the shoulder. "May I cut in?" he asked, trying to sound as polite as he could in his current state of jealousy.

The boy started to step away from Buffy but she held him close and simply said, "No...you were late."

Angel growled and left the Bronze. Buffy bit her lip as guilt consumed her. "Let's go for a walk outside, okay Darren?" She suggested smiling.

"Sure," he said taking her hand when she offered it to him. "Was that guy your boyfriend?" he asked warily.

"Sort of," she replied as they stepped outside into the cool night air. "We broke up a while ago but he keeps trying to get back together with me."

"He's older than you though, right?" Darren asked. "He looks like he's 25."

"Around that, give or take a year." she said smirking.

She saw Angel disappear down an alley and led Darren through it a few seconds later. Angel turned around when he sensed them and watched as Darren leaned her against a building and kissed her on the lips. Buffy knew that Angel was watching and she gently pushed him away.

Darren's shy attitude suddenly changed when she did that. She shoved her back against the wall again, not realizing that Angel was watching and growing more enraged by the second.

Buffy gasped as her head hit the wall. She watched as Darren's face morphed into the visage of a vampire. As he lowered his mouth to her neck he stopped suddenly as she kicked him against the wall on the other side of the alley. He hit the bricks with a thud and collapsed to the ground. He stood up with a growl as Buffy ran over to him and punched him in the face. He reeled back a couple steps and lunged toward her. She promptly pulled a stake from her jacket and buried it into his heart.

"Don't mess with the Slayer!" She said before he exploded into dust. Buffy brushed off her dust-covered clothes as Angel ran up to her.

"What were you doing?" he asked. "You should have known he was a vampire long before he showed you his face."

"I knew from the moment he asked me to dance. I didn't want to let him get away, so I accepted." she said.

"But why did you follow me down the alley with him?" he asked. "Were you trying to prove that you could have anybody you wanted? You don't think I realize that every night?"

"I never for once thought that after I met you," she said. "I don't want anybody else but you Angel. And I followed you because I didn't want to let you get away either. But you should have known he was a vampire too...how come you didn't pick up on it?"

"When I saw you two together, I got jealous." he admitted sadly. "I thought you'd finally given up on me."

"You know I wouldn't dance with anyone else but you and actually enjoy it, right?" she replied. "Besides...I love you too much to just give up." She pulled him up against her and kissed him. "Let's go dance," she said to him. "After all...tonight's my night off."

The End