Title: Beating the Odds Prologue

Author: Belle

Feedback: Essential to the first time writer! I could use some constructive criticism as well as compliments :) ! Send everything back to BAforever@cox.net

Rating: PG-15

Summary: Buffy is looking for a job and Angel could be a potential employer

Distribution: My site http://www.heavenlyperfection.com/rof , LoD, and anyone else just ask and you shall receive :)

Disclaimer: Hah! I wish but sadly my wish hasn't come true. :(

Spoilers: None this is completely AU

Authors Notes: Hey!~ This is my first fanfic and I hope you like it!~

Prologue

Buffy Summers had been fired once again. Her boss Eddie had fired her because he had caught her sleeping in the back room of the cleaners for the second time that week. In the beginning, he hadn't cared but then when she had refused to have sex with him, he had started hounding her about every little thing she did wrong at work.

Buffy wasn't surprised that she gotten fired. I mean it WAS understandable and it's not like the job was so great to begin with. Buffy had been working at Macy's Diner for the past three and a half weeks at night and at So Fresh, So Clean (the local dry cleaners) during the day. She wasn't just physically exhausted but mentally as well.

Buffy was a fiery 19-year-old blonde who was nice, cheerful, and innocent yet she was also stubborn and demanding. Unfortunately, her life had taken an unexpected, unwelcome turn when her parents had died in a car crash when she was 16. And they had left her alone, with her younger sister Nicole. Two years ago her sister had developed leukemia. The money that their parents had left them went completely towards Nicole's treatments but that had quickly disappeared. Consequently, Buffy had been forced to find alternate means of money. Her alternate route was Tony; he was a cruel, formidable loan shark who had no remorse for anyone. Sadly, Nicole's severity of the disease had been to far along and she had died within a year and a half and Buffy still owed Tony the great amount of money.

Throughout the whole ordeal her boyfriend—well now ex-boyfriend— Matt, kept pressuring her to go all the way because he thought that it would take her mind off things. At first, she just avoided the topic but when Matt confronted her about it and she said flat out no he started get really violent with her. In the beginning, he just threatened her but then he actually used the metal part of a belt to beat her. He just wouldn't take "No" for an answer. So now, she wasn't only on the run from Tony's goons but Matt as well.

Buffy had wondered what she was going to do now—Tony had been getting more and more impatient and now she had just lost her job. She still owed him 6,750 dollars out of the 12,000 she had originally borrowed. She was seriously afraid of him; when she had gone there to tell him that she couldn't pay him a second time, he had held a knife to her throat. She had taken up every job imaginable—from exotic dancing to flipping burgers she had done it all. And to help cut her costs to even less, she moved out of the shack they called an apartment and was now living in her car.

As she leafed through the "Wanted" ads, a particular colorful ad caught her eye. The ad was for help at the new branch of Palace Hotels and Casinos. She decided she would try to call and get an appointment. She glanced down at the paper once more to see who she should ask for—Angel Callahan. Hmmm…what a strange name. Then she quickly jotted down the number and name, as well as all the others, in her planner/journal.

As Buffy was walking to go use the pay phone, she was grabbed from behind and pulled into an alley. As she turned to look at the attacker, she saw that it was Matt.

"Matt, what are you doing?" Buffy said.

"Buffy why'd you go away? I went to your old place and they said you had moved out. I said I was sorry and it won't happen again. I promise." Matt promised for the millionth time.

"Leave me alone, Matt! I told you I didn't want to see you again and I meant it."

"Baby, come on. Please." Matt gave her puppy dog eyes.

"No, Matt." Buffy stated firmly and started to walk off.

"God you are such a bitch! I said I want you back and you will come back to me." He grabbed Buffy's wrist, put another hand over her mouth, and wrenched around to face him. Buffy became frantic and bit his hand hard but when he pulled it away, he swiftly backhanded her across the face for her so-called "insolence." Buffy thought fast and kneed him in the groin. He doubled over in pain and fell to the ground giving her time to escape.

Buffy ran for six blocks, turning around every corner—afraid that he would be following her. She then turned another corner and stopped to catch her breath. My God, how did she get herself into such big messes? Buffy straightened her blouse then proceeded to inspect her surroundings. She just realized that in her panic she hadn't paid attention to where she had been running and now she had no idea where she was. This was just great. She looked around; some buildings and a few small businesses. She sank down to the ground and put her head in her palms and tears began to form in her eyes. No, she couldn't cry—she hadn't done that since her sister died and with all of the deaths she had been through she had cried enough for a lifetime. Her eye and cheek hurt where Matt had slapped her. Suddenly, someone tapped on her shoulder. Angrily, she looked up at the person who had interrupted her thoughts. And she was blown away…he was drop-dead gorgeous.

TBC….

Tell me what you think!!!