Willow and Xander sat together at a table in the Bronze. Over Xander's
  shoulder Willow could see Angel leaning against a wall in the shadows.

  "Maybe if we just ignore him he'll go away," Xander suggested.

  "I don't think so," Willow shook her head. "I think he's use to being
  ignored. I think it's staring at him that scares him off."

  As Xander immediately turned to scowl at the vampire he missed Willow's
  quickly hidden mischievous grin.

  "Aagh! Don't do that!" he snapped at Angel, who was now standing behind
  him.

  "Join us?" Willow asked.

  Xander gave her a reproachful glare as Angel dropped into an empty chair.

  "Nice shirt," Angel said, nodding at the jersey Willow wore. "Didn't
  know you were a Kings fan."

  "Oh, I am," she said. "Dad use to take me and Xander to games all the
  time when he was getting tickets from his company. Didn't he, Xander?"

  "Yeah. Did you know that they don't have cheerleaders at hockey games?
  What's up with that?"

  "Too bad they're not a better team," Angel said.

  "Better?" Willow gaped at him. "They're great."

  "They haven't been in the playoffs in five years."

  "Well, they're building. They have a good chance this year."

  "Right," Angel rolled his eyes. "That's why Gretzky moved to New York."

  "They're second in the division right now."

  "Which doesn't say a lot for the rest of them." He paused to look at her
  curiously. "What does a little girl like you see in hockey, anyway?"

  Willow scowled at him, ignoring conventional wisdom, which said that
  arguing with a vampire was generally unhealthy. "Chauvinist. You think
  girls can't like sports? I love hockey. It's fast and exciting. It
  takes a lot of skill and stamina and hard work. It's a great game." She
  paused for breath. "What does a vampire like you see in hockey?" she
  countered.

  He shrugged. "I just go for the blood."

  Xander gave him a sharp look, unsure how serious Angel was. Willow,
  however, had seen the glint of twisted humor in his eyes and laughed.

  "Hey. What's going on?" Buffy asked, flopping into the fourth chair.
  "What's so funny?"

  "Angel…" Willow began. "Nevermind." Something in Angel's face had
  closed down at the Slayer's arrival. She didn't know what was going on
  between the two of them, but she was fairly certain that she didn't want
  to end up in the middle of it.

  "Just a little news," Angel said as he stood. "Things should be pretty
  quiet for a while. Spike and Drusilla seem to have taken a vacation."

  "A vacation?" Xander asked. "You mean, like six-day, seven-night
  blood-sucker cruise to the Bahamas, or something?"

  "Or something."

  "Okay… Well… thanks?" Buffy said. "Do you want…"

  But he had already stepped into the crowd and vanished.