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Part 2
"So, Buffy, have you and Cordelia been partying all week?" Hank Summers teased when Buffy walked into her father's house.
"Yeah, that's us," Buffy smiled. "We're just girls who wanna have fun."
"Oh, before I forget...someone named Riley called? He's your boyfriend, right?" Hank said, looking back down at the paper in his lap. Buffy rolled her eyes, she had told him that she was going out with Riley when she had first arrived. It figured that her father had forgotten...
"He is for now," Buffy said, a slight edge in her tone. Hank looked up at her in surprise.
"For now?" he echoed. Buffy nodded and sighed.
"Yeah, Riley and I are probably over when I go back to school. I just don't feel the way I used to about him," she said, hoping he'd drop the subject.
Hank didn't take the hint. "Have you met someone here?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. Buffy squirmed, she hated lying to him...
"Let's just say I had some unfinished business with someone here that's become this whole big thing and leave it at that," she replied. Hank sighed.
"All right," he grumbled. "Is it, by any chance, with that Angel guy you brought over here for Christmas?" Hank remembered the way he and Buffy had looked at one another...as though they were the only two people in the world, as far as they were concerned. The smile that involuntarily flickered across her mouth at her lover's name answered his question.
"Maybe," she said dreamily. Hank often found himself forgetting that she was only eighteen, so responsible and mature she had become when she moved to Sunnydale. But the way she acted at that moment reminded him that she was still a young woman, happy and obviously in love.
"You should bring him around again. We could all have dinner one night," her father suggested. Buffy eyed him.
"What do you have planned, Daddy?"
"Nothing. I just have to make sure he's good enough for my little girl."
The softness in her eye was not lost on him as she spoke. "He is. Believe me, he is."
It turned out that Angel was free the next night to go out to dinner with Buffy and her father. Buffy hadn't been able to sneak out of her house to see him at all that day and she was feeling a sort of withdrawal from him. She missed his touch, and his kisses, and the way he would always look at her with his eyes filled of love and awe...
Buffy sighed as she pulled her new silk slipdress on. Adjusting the tiny straps, she gazed at the full-length mirror before her. The tiny pastel flowers and the white of the material contrasted sharply with her tanned skin, making it look as though she was aglow with an ethereal light. Buffy smoothed it out, loving how the simple dress clung to her every curve. Angel was going to love it...
The phone rang, interrupting the thoughts that suddenly filled her mind, of Angel and what would happen after dinner... Buffy picked it up and cradled it between her chin and shoulder.
"Hello?"
"Okay, talk," Willow said, not bothering to say hello.
"I just did," Buffy teased.
"Where in the world have you been? I've been trying for days but your dad is either not home or he says you're at Cordelia's...and then when I tried her she wouldn't tell me where you were. So get talking," Willow demanded. Buffy laughed.
"Guess where I've been."
There was a moment of silence on the other line. "Have you been with...Angel?" she asked. Buffy nodded, even though her best friend couldn't see her.
"Yeah," she said as she slipped on her sandals. "I've been staying with him for the last few days."
"Umm...how?! I mean, he's still a vampire and that whole 'one moment of true happiness and he's a bloodsucking evil demon guy' thing ruins it...not to mention the fact that you have a boyfriend and Angel and you agreed to not see each other anymore."
"Oh, well, see that's the thing. He's not," Buffy sighed, plopping down on her bed.
"He's not?" Willow echoed. "Who's not what?"
"Was that a sentence?" Buffy asked, giggling.
"Technically, yeah. Buffy, you're driving me crazy! Which isn't good, because when Wicca Girl gets crazy bad things happen..." Willow smiled. Buffy laughed.
"Just *please* don't make me marry Spike again," she begged.
"I will if you don't tell me what's going on in the next five seconds!" Willow threatened good-naturedly.
"Well, I'm not exactly psychic, but I bet you'll get mad that I haven't told you yet and make more threats--"
"BUFFY!"
"Okay, okay," Buffy laughed. "Don't get your broomstick all bent."
"I don't have a broomstick," Willow shot back.
"Okay, simply put--Angel's human. The curse is nonexistent."
Willow nearly dropped the phone in shock. "What?! How?! When?! Why?!"
"Angel's human. The Oracles granted him his humanity and we had to prove that we were better off together than apart. Umm...a few days before Christmas...and what was the last question?" Buffy asked, her brow furrowed as she tried to remember.
"Angel is human? Brood Boy? Cryptic Guy? The tortured vamp-with-a-soul that you love so much?" Willow repeated.
"No, Wills, I meant the other Angel that I know and love," Buffy told her sarcastically. "You remember when I came to L.A. for Thanksgiving and I went to see him, right?"
"Yeah, but you stayed for like five minutes, right?"
"No, I stayed for twenty-four hours and five minutes," Buffy replied. She sank back into her pillows and began the story.
"Wow," Willow said when she was finished. "So your dreams really happened? You and Angel had sex on his *kitchen table*?!"
Buffy laughed. "Yeah, we broke the damn thing. Well, the first time..."
"Oh God, I SO don't want to know..." Willow said, shaking her head. "Okay, so I do. I'm guessing there was a second time?"
"Oh yeah, on the table again. A little uncomfortable, but I forgot about it in like three seconds," Buffy said with a laugh. Willow squealed with delight.
"So I'm guessing Angel was a lot better than Parker..." Willow began. Buffy snorted.
"Do you even have to ask? You know, for having been with so many women, Parker sure doesn't seem to have the experience..." she said slyly, a wicked grin on her lips. Willow laughed.
"So what's gonna happen with you two now?" she asked.
"Well, for the rest of the semester we're gonna do the long-distance thing and visit on weekends. Then, either he'll move to Sunnydale for the summer or I'll come here, we haven't decided yet...I'm still kinda in shock that this is all happening," Buffy said, sighing happily.
"I'm glad it is," Willow replied. "I haven't heard you this happy in a long time. But what are you going to do about Riley?"
Buffy sighed. "Break up with him. When he gets back from Iowa, I'll talk to him and tell him what happened. I feel horrible about it, but I wouldn't change it for the world."
"Yeah, I know. You and Angel deserve this happiness, I'm just sorry Riley got caught up in it all."
"So am I," Buffy agreed. "But hey, now *you* can go out with Riley! Before we started going out there was some major sparkage between you two..."
"Buffy!" Willow shrieked. "No thanks. He's a little too dull for me...plus I'm waiting for Oz."
"Any word?"
"Not yet, but I'm feeling filled with something that resembles hope after his letter," she replied with a hint of excitement.
"I'm glad. Don't worry, Wills, he'll be back," Buffy said.
"I know. So...what has your dad said about all this?" Willow asked, shifting on her bed.
"Well, he knows that Angel and I have been seeing each other or whatever, but I don't know if he suspects anything. You know my dad, Mr. Oblivious... But my dad likes Angel, he spent Christmas with us and he's coming out to dinner with us tonight."
"And then I assume you two will head back to his place to make with the smoochies?" Willow grinned. Buffy giggled.
"You know me too well," she said. "I gotta go, Angel should be here any minute and I need to do something with this hair of mine...I'll call you later, okay?"
"If I don't talk to you, Happy New Year!"
"Thanks, you too! Oh, and Wills? Don't say anything to the others, I want to be the one to tell them what's going on."
"You got it," Willow said. "Say hello to that gorgeous boyfriend of yours for me."
Buffy smiled, Angel's face rising up in her mind's eye. "I will. Say hi to everyone for me!"
"Will do! Bye!"
"Bye, Willow."
Buffy clicked off the phone and set it down, grinning like a fool to herself in the mirror. Picking up her hairbrush, she played with a few hairstyles before deciding to just leave it down and clip it back. Angel always loved to run his hands through her hair...
She had just finished applying her lipstick when the doorbell rang. She squealed and placed the cap on it, giving herself a once-over in the mirror. Hank Summers appeared in the doorway.
"Are you ready?" he asked. Buffy nodded and smiled at her father.
"Just give me another minute," she said. Hank returned her smile, gazing at her proudly.
"You look absolutely breathtaking, Buffy." She blushed and kissed her father on the cheek.
"Thanks. Now go let Angel in, and try to be nice!"
Hank laughed and left her room, leaving Buffy alone to gather her thoughts and compose herself. She heard the front door open and close, and could barely make out their muffled voices. Glancing in the mirror one last time, she grabbed her beaded bag and headed for the door.
Angel and Hank were engaged in a quiet conversation when she entered the room. Angel immediately stood when he spotted her, his eighteenth-century manners impressing Hank. Buffy smiled shyly at him as he took in her appearance.
"You look beautiful, Buffy," he said earnestly as he quickly walked over to her and gave her a sweet kiss on the lips. Pulling back, he offered her his arm and escorted her out of the room. Hank followed, smiling slightly at the way they acted around each other.
They were so in love even *he* noticed it.
"I think that went well, don't you?" Buffy asked as Angel's fingers found the zipper to her dress and drew it down slowly. Angel gave her a look.
"Baby, you're ruining the moment," he said. Buffy made a face and flopped down onto the bed.
"I know, I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just really want my dad to accept you...and us." Angel's anger melted away at her sincere tone. God, he loved her...
He plopped down next to her and drew her to him. "I think he did."
The dinner couldn't have been better, as far as Buffy was concerned. Angel had been his polite self and Hank and Angel had gotten along considerably well, although Hank had given him the usual interrogation he had given all of Buffy's boyfriends. Of course, her father didn't know she was there now, he thought she was out with Cordelia at a club that had opened not far from Cordy's apartment.
"Mmm," she said, kissing him softly. "Yay us."
"Can we be rewarded right now?" her boyfriend asked, playfully nibbling her lower lip. She laughed.
"You want a cookie?"
"I want you."
Buffy sighed and pretended to be bored. "You always want me," she said with a hair-toss. Angel grinned and rolled over onto her.
"Can I help that I just find you so damn sexy and beautiful?"
She smiled up at him, softly cradling his cheek in her hand. "No, seeing as how I am would explain your feelings," she said with a smirk. Angel rubbed a hand over his eyes.
"You've been spending too much time with Cordelia," he told her. She looked up at him, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"That's just what my dad thinks."
And with that, there was no talking in the room for the rest of the night.
Cordelia sighed as she pulled a sheer blouse from her closet and put it on. Grabbing her keys, she headed for the door. When she opened it, she gasped in surprise. A guy of about twenty stood on the other side, hand poised to knock. He had reddish hair that was in need of a cut and brown eyes, and Cordelia immediately saw that he was extremely tall, towering over her even with her platforms on. She regarded him coolly. He was okay, had that boy-next-door thing going on but was kinda plain looking...
"Cordelia?"
"No, Cordelia's out at the moment. Can I take a message?" she snapped with a roll of her eyes.
"Is Buffy here?" he asked, craning his neck to get a peak inside. Cordelia effectively blocked his view.
"No, she's not. Sorry..." she paused, waiting for him to introduce himself.
"Oh. Riley, Riley Finn," he said, holding his hand out. She looked down at it disdainfully and he hastily withdrew it.
"Aren't you supposed to be in Nebraska or wherever?" she asked, wrinkling her nose. Farm boys were SO out.
"Iowa," he corrected. "And yeah, but I wanted to spend New Year's Eve with Buffy. So do you know where she is? Her father told me she was staying with you for the night..."
"You went to see Mr. Summers?" Cordelia asked, slightly shocked. He nodded.
"Yeah, that being the address she gave me and him being her father and all... You're good at not answering questions," he said with a quirked brow. She bristled slightly.
"I've had lots of practice," she retorted. Riley sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"So are you gonna tell me where my girlfriend is or not?" he demanded. Cordelia sighed.
"Look, Riley. I don't think surprising Buffy right now would be the best idea," she said carefully.
"Why? Because of that Angel guy you mentioned when we spoke on the phone?"
"Yeah. See, him and Buffy are...well, they're..." she paused, struggling for the right words. She couldn't come out and tell him that Buffy was screwing Angel. She'd leave all the fun stuff to Buffy...
"They're what? 'Making crazy monkey love all over your office'? Is that what you told me?" he asked, smiling at her. She sighed.
"Look, I'm heading to work right now. You want to tag along so you can find your precious Buffy or whatever, fine. I'm just warning you now--you probably don't want to do this."
Riley set his jaw. "Yes, I do."
Cordelia rolled her eyes and stepped out of her apartment, locking the door behind her. Riley fell in step beside her as she began the familiar walk to the office.