Title: New Year's in Handcuffs

Author: Angelfan15

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Buffy's life would have turned out a lot different if I had.

Pairing: Buffy/Angel mainly with a few supporting couples.

Spoilers: This is a complete AU.

Rating: So far it is PG, it might become NC-17 later. Just a little warning.

Summary: Buffy's New Year gets a whole lot better. Very Bad summary but I don't want to give anything away.

Authors note: Sorry this is a few days late but I didn't get the idea for it until New Year's Day and I have been working on it since. I also started a Christmas fic that I don't know if I will post now since it is pretty late. I started a couple other stories and have been working on some of my WIP, so just because I haven't been posting doesn't mean I'm not working on them! I was trying to finish a story before I posted it but I think I might need some positive feedback to inspire me!

Authors note 2: This fic is for baforeverlmw , she helped me get past a some writers block. She has done it several times. Thank you girl!

Chapter 1: Little Black Dress

Buffy Summers tucked her blonde hair behind her ear, she was still trying to get used to having short hair. Today was New Year's Eve and she had just gotten her hair cut, she heard somewhere that when a woman drastically cut her hair it was a symbol of a fresh start. She was ready for the New Year, she was ready for a new start. She had spent the last year trying to find herself, figuring out what she wanted to do for a living. This was the year she decided her life was going to be different and she was going to be a grown up. It was a new year, a new her.

Buffy looked across the table at her best friends Willow and Xander as they both sipped their coffees at the Espresso Pump. Willow always had everything so put together and Xander was always all over the place when they were younger but now even he had a great job and his life was good. She was a little jealous that they knew exactly what they wanted. She had switched majors in collage so many times that even she lost track. She ended up getting a degree in Art History, she hadn't even known she liked Art until she went to her mother's Art Gallery just like she had a hundred times before but this time she looked, actually looked at the art hanging on the walls and she suddenly wanted to know more about them. Her mother was of course excited that she had something in common with her daughter. She had always been a Daddy's girl and spent most of her time with him instead of her mother.

"So, Buffster." Xander smiled at her as he took a bite of his muffin. "You still coming to the Bronze for the rockin' New Year's Eve party tonight?"

"Yeah!" Willow smiled. "Dingo's are playing!"

Buffy nodded, of course she was going to be there! She always went to the Bronze when Willow's boyfriend Oz's band was playing. "I will be there after I stop by to see my dad."

"You better not be late!" Xander gave her a pointed look. She always ended up late when she went to see her dad at work because she would stick around to see if he needed any help with anything or if he wanted something to eat.

Buffy rolled her eyes and smiled at her friends. "It's not my fault no one knows how to file paperwork or…."

"Are you sure it doesn't have anything to do with the guys who work there?" Willow smiled knowingly earning a slight nod from Buffy. Her dad was the Police Sheriff of Sunnydale and Buffy always did have a soft spot for a man in uniform.

Xander nodded in agreement with Willow. When they were in high school he had a huge crush on Buffy and even dressed up as a police officer for Halloween. It still didn't get her attention like he would have hoped but she did tell him he looked good which at the time was enough to put a huge smile on his face for a week.

"I will try not to ogle the officers for too long." Buffy joked.

Xander took a large bite of his muffin and chewed it. "Just pick one already so you aren't just standing there when the ball drops while everyone else is kissing!"

"Xander!" Willow kicked him under the table. As long as she could remember Buffy had never gotten a New Year's kiss but that didn't mean Xander had to mention it.

0o0o0

Buffy tossed a pink skirt on to her bed and turned back around towards her closet to see what else she had that was New Year's worthy. Willow, Anya, Amy and Tara went shopping every year to buy new outfits for New Year's so they could look good for their boyfriends but since Buffy had never had a boyfriend on New Year's she never felt the need to buy a new outfit. Also she was trying to save up her tips from the diner for an apartment of her very own. It would be easier if she could get a job using her degree, she would be paid a lot more and she would have her own apartment instead of living with her parents and younger sister, Dawn. Dawn had been talking about turning Buffy's room into a small Library of Law since Buffy moved into the dorms her freshman year. It was slightly depressing that her 16 year old sister knew she wanted to be a lawyer but at 16 all Buffy wanted to do was date and shop.

Throwing two more dresses on her bed she looked down at her choices and sighed. She used to be so good at this! Now she found herself second guessing everything, she was a 25 year old waitress still living at home with mommy and daddy! How could she not second guess her decisions? Her life hadn't turned out the way she thought it would have but this new year was going to be the start of her new life. Everything was going to change!

She eyed the thick strapped thigh length black dress lying on her bed, a girl could never go wrong with a little black dress… right? Grabbing the dress of her bed she quickly changed into it and looked at her hair, there wasn't much she could do with it since she got a bob cut so she just ran her brush through it a few times.

"Hey Buffy, can I barrow..." Dawn trailed off as she stopped in her sister's door way. "Yowza!" She smiled checking out her sister. "Who's the guy you are dressing up for? It isn't Xander is it? I know you haven't had a boyfriend in a while and he was completely in love with you for like… ever but that ship has sailed with Anya as it's co-pilot."

Buffy looked at her sister oddly for second. Dawn was always saying weird stuff like that. "No…"

"Larry?" Her sister asked leaning against the door frame.

Buffy sighed, even though Dawn was a teenager now she was still annoying sometimes. "Amy is dating Larry." She reminded her dark haired sister.

Pushing away from the door frame Dawn walked into her sister's room and sat on the bed. "Warren!?" She screeched.

"Ewww!" Buffy shuddered. She didn't even understand why Tara is with Warren, he is so creepy and no one in their group really liked him.

"Well, Oz isn't your type…." Dawn told her older sister. "and you wouldn't do that to Willow so who else do you know that is a guy?"

"No one…"

Dawn sat up straighter and gasped. "New meat?"

"There is no meat." Buffy said narrowing her eyes at her sister as she looked at her through the mirror. "A girl can't dress up for herself?"

Raising her eyebrows at her older sister Dawn shook her head.

Buffy sighed dramatically and turned to her sister. "Is there something you needed?"

Dawn nodded. "I wanted to ask you if I could barrow your pink cardigan."

"You never ask." Buffy said turning back around to look at her jewelry on her vanity. "What is different this time?"

"You're here…" Dawn shrugged. Letting out a short laugh Buffy nodded and pointed towards her closet. "Are you guys still coming to the Bronze tonight?"

"Where else is there to go in Sunnydale?" Buffy joked. "The gang will be there, I will be there after I stop by to see Dad."

Dawn opened Buffy's closet in search for the cardigan. "Is he working a 24 hour tonight?"

Buffy nodded. "Everyone is working tonight, the cops are going to be out full force tonight so tell Andrew to drive careful."

"Will do." Dawn said grabbing the sweater and running out of her sisters bedroom. "Thanks!"

Buffy reached down to grab her zebra stripped pumps and slipped them on her feet and went over to grab her matching clutch.

0o0o0

Buffy walked into the Sunnydale Police Station later that night, she had stopped by a café to buy some snacks for the guys and dinner for her dad. She set the snacks on the table in the back of the squad room, glancing at the clock she saw that it was getting pretty late. She saw the receptionist Jenny Calendar walk by "Hey Jenny, do you know where my dad is?"

The dark haired woman looked up at the blonde and smiled. "He's out, he is going to be busy for a while."

"Okay." Buffy nodded. "Thanks." The dark haired woman nodded as Buffy walked towards the back to put her dad's food in the fridge, when she opened it she saw that it was full of juices and soda. The police celebrated New Year's just like everyone else… just without alcohol while they were on duty. She would have to put it in the other fridge and write a note to leave on her father's desk. Walking past all the desks Buffy opened a maroon door that lead to the holding cells, with Sunnydale being such a small town there were only two holding cells. Her dad didn't like her going back into the holding cells but it seemed like things were pretty quiet, oddly quiet for New Years. Pulling her phone out of her clutch she checked the time, it was only 10:00 the drunks would be coming in at some point. Slipping her phone back into her clutch she went into the far corner of the room where there was a mini fridge and put her dad's dinner inside.

0o0o0

He heard the door open but didn't bother looking up from his hands, it was probably someone else coming in. Tonight this place was going to be packed, he was sure of it. When he heard the sound of heels clicking on the hard floor he finally glanced up. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw a beautiful blonde in a short tight black dress and zebra print heels. Definitely not someone else being brought in. He watched her walk across the room, pulling her cell phone out of her matching zebra print purse and glance at it before slipping it back into the black and white purse and walking over to the fridge and putting the bag she was carrying into the small fridge. She seemed like she was in her own little world because she had yet to even realize she wasn't in the room alone. He watched her walk back towards the exit, as much as he knew he shouldn't be watching her he couldn't seem to take his eyes away from the way her hips swayed when she walked.

As if she could read his thoughts she slowly glanced over to her left and looked right at him. "Oh! I'm sorry." She apologized taking a step towards the cell. "I didn't know anyone was in here."

"Why are you saying sorry to me?" He asked the blonde.

She smiled at him and walked even closer to the cell. "Because I didn't see you there. Sorry, I was kind of wrapped up in my own thoughts there."

"I am clearly a criminal." He told her holding up his handcuffed hands for her to see as if being in a holding cell wasn't proof enough. "A beautiful woman like yourself shouldn't be talking to me."

He watched her bit her lip in the most adorable way as a slight blush appeared on her face. "I have seen a lot of criminals in my life and you don't look like one to me." She offered him a soft smile. "You could have done anything to land here, it could all be a misunderstanding. What did you do?"

Eyeing her for a minute he finally answered. "Bar fight."

"Ahh." She nodded. "I'm sure there will be a lot of those tonight."

"I'm sure."

She stepped even closer so she was right up against the bars. "It couldn't have been that bad if you are still here. They normally get the serious ones booked and taken to the actual jail really fast."

"I think they are still trying to figure out what happened." He told her. "Last I heard anything they were talking to the other guy."

"Do you want me to ask them?" The blonde asked pointing over her shoulder.

Glancing towards the door then back to the woman he shook his head. "I don't think they will tell you anything."

She smiled at him. "Wanna bet?" She turned on her heels and walked towards the door. He cocked his head slightly, his eyes not being able to look away from her swaying ass. After several minutes he was sure she wasn't coming back, it was just an excuse to leave. He lifted his head hopefully when he heard the door open again and he smiled slightly when he saw her coming back in.

"They haven't even talked to the guy yet." She said as she held a key in her hand and started to unlock the cell. "Apparently you got him pretty good and he is getting stitches in his eye."

"What are you doing?" He questioned as she walking into the cell.

She smiled at him as she sat down. "No one should be alone on New Year's. I'm Buffy."

He looked down at her hand that she was offering him, he slowly lifted his hand and took hers. "I'm Angel."

AN: I will start working on chapter 2 now! Please leave me feedback to inspire me to write more!