AN: I'm back! I'm sorry I haven't updated sooner, I was out of town and barely got back! Thanks for all the reviews, I greatly appreciate them! This is more like a filler chapter and it provides a bit of a back story on some characters, especially Buffy and Angel. Oh and those who are wondering, I will explain more things in later chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy or Angel

Los Angeles, California

6:50 pm

Angel howled in laughter in the back seat of the cab as Doyle continued explaining how he met his wife, Cordelia. "And then when I was about ta ask her out on a date, this drunken hobo comes flying out of the alley scaring the ever-living shite out of 'Delia. She screams like a banshee and runs away as fast as she could on heels," Doyle choked out as he continued laughing alongside Angel. Angel was leaning on his side, clutching his waist with laughter floating in the air.

He sat back up once the laughter died down and shook his head in good humor. "So how did you finally ask her out?"

Doyle made a 'hmm' sound and recalled how he did it. "There's a town about 2 hours north of LA called Sunnydale, 'Delia is from there and she went up ta visit here parents. Of course, being the gentleman that I am, I offered to accompany her. Ta make a long story short, her father sat me down and basically gave me an interview which scared the crap out of me. The next day I took 'Delia to some club called 'The Bronze' or some shite like that and asked her out in the middle of an AC/DC song."

"Hmm, sounds romantic," Angel said sarcastically. He knew where the Bronze was and where Sunnydale was, but he kept it to himself. "Which song was it?"

"Oh it was that one song called 'You shook me all night long,'" Doyle said as he recalled one of the most exciting moments of his life.

"Ah, that is a good song," Angel added.

Doyle nodded in seriousness before breaking out into a big toothy grin. "How did you and the missus meet?"

Angel looked out of the window as he remembered when, where, and how he met Buffy. "We were 16 when we met and it was in the 10th grade in Hemery High School…"

"You've lived here before then?" Doyle interrupted.

Angel glared at Doyle for a bit for the interruption but nodded and continued as he was never interrupted. "I was one of the popular kids because I played basketball. I never really cared about the popularity; I just played because I liked it. So I was late to practice one day…."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

October 16, 1996

Hemery High School

Los Angeles, California

Angel sprinted down the hallway as he checked his watch for the time. He cursed silently as he noticed once again he was late to practice. The coach was going to chew his ass out and make him do laps around the court again. He sped up as he thought about it more, but squealed to a stop as he saw a group of football jocks surrounding a pale blonde kid who seemed to block someone behind them. He tried to look closer and noticed a flash of blonde hair behind the slighter taller blonde boy.

"Oh what are you gonna do huh? Just move out of the way so we can speak to her," said one of the jocks in an unnerving kind of way.

"Fuck you asshole," the blonde boy spat out and he managed to hear a feminine voice behind the boy. "Let me at 'em Spike! I'll kick his ass, c'mon!"

"No pet, stay behind me," the boy named Spike said to the girl behind him. Angel was entranced by the strong female voice behind the boy named Spike but still didn't make a move to go help out the duo. He was hesitant to spring into action, knowing that his record wasn't all the stellar. At least until another female voice spoke up behind him.

"You should go help out."

Angel jumped a bit and then turned to see his favorite computer teacher. "Ms. Calendar, you scared me."

Jenny smiled gently at Angel. She heard the commotion from her class and was coming out to break it up when she saw Angel trying to make up his mind to help out. She knew the reason why Angel was so hesitant to help out, so she did the good teacher thing during a situation like this. She sicced Angel on them. "Go, help them out. You know as well as I do that those kids won't stop messing with them."

Angel nodded and took a deep breath. He calmed himself down and dropped his books on the floor. As he walked over, thoughts of being late to basketball practice left his head. Now even though Angel was just 16, he could very well still be intimidating; standing at 6'1, he towered over most students. He was probably the only student that wore black or dark colors all year, but he has said before that the clothes add to his image.

He walked up to the 4 jocks surrounding Spike and the mystery girl and stood behind all of them. He managed to catch Spike's eyes to reassure him that he was there to help and Spike relaxed slightly. Angel towered over all the football jocks by at least 1 or 2 inches, but it was his stare that unnerved everyone that got into a fight with him. He tapped one of the jocks on the back and put on a curious face. "Hey Hogan, what's up?"

The jock named Hogan smiled stupidly and thought Angel was there to help them out. "It's the new girl and her brother. We're just messing with them."

Angel nodded and noticed that Hogan went back to messing with the brother and sister. He sighed and tapped Hogan on the shoulder again. Annoyed, Hogan turned to glare Angel, only to be met with an incredible hard right hook that sent him sprawling to the floor. Another jock saw the punch and threw out his own punch, only to have it blocked and then receive a punch of his own for his efforts. Angel stood over the two fallen jocks and stared down the two remaining jocks with deadly calm eyes.

"Still wanna mess with them? Why don't you guys mess with me?" Angel said in a calculating voice. Some students staying late in the day came out their classrooms to view the spectacle and were cheering Angel on. Jenny blocked some of the teachers from going to stop the fight saying that "those boys need an ass whipping and Angel was the man to do the job." Spike was impressed at the slightly intimidating boy, but still kept his focus on not letting his sister out from behind him till the coast was clear.

One of the remaining jocks looked over at his buddy and nodded. "Let's get him!" He screamed out and both of them charged at Angel. Angel stayed calm and then sprang into action. With his coat billowing behind him with his movements, Angel launched a huge roundhouse kick that connected with both jocks. By that time, Hogan recovered from Angel's sucker punch and got up with a bloody lip and swung at Angel. He managed to punch Angel in the temple, but it only served to anger Angel. Angel turned let out a sound similar to a growl and grabbed Hogan. He punched him twice in the stomach and then pushed him to the lockers. Hogan couldn't escape the flurry of hits Angel unleashed on him and ended up ground after a few brave students pulled Angel off of him.

Angel shook of the other students and took a deep breath to calm down and turned to the other jocks and glared them down. All now three recovered jocks looked at each other, then at a now knocked out Hogan and then back at each other. Their decision was clear in their eyes and all three ran away from Angel in fear. Angel took a deep breath and relaxed his whole body. He turned to Spike and walked over to him. Spike stared down at Angel, showing that he wasn't intimidated by him. Angel was pleasantly surprised and impressed with the blonde boy and nodded at him. He was about to leave when he heard the girl finally escape from behind Spike.

"Hey you," she called out. Angel looked down to her, only to be met with her own version of a roundhouse kick, taking him down. Angel looked up in surprise and anger at the girl, but was stunned silent at her beauty. Brown eyes met green eyes and people all around them gasped at the instant attraction between the blond girl standing over the dark brown haired boy. "Is there a problem miss?" Angel quipped out at the beautiful blond.

Spike managed to snap out of his stupor at seeing his sister easily take down the boy who just helped them out both and reached out to pull his sister back. "Buffy, calm down would ya? He just helped us out."

Buffy shrugged Spike off and turned to her brother. "Well he should've said something," was all she said before she turned back to the handsome boy starting to stand up. "And yes there is a problem. I had it taken care of!"

Angel just chuckled, before he groaned in pain and grabbed his chin. By this time the students around them dispersed and the teachers were making their way over to them. "Wow, you're pretty spry for a small thing."

"Small thing? Looky here buddy, I'm not spry—I'm just very limber," Buffy said and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked at Angel up and down discreetly and she suddenly had an urge to run her hands all over them. "What's your name anyway?"

Angel was thinking bad, bad, thoughts of the petite blond girl when her question registered in his lust-laced mind. "Oh, it's Liam, but people call me Angel. And what's yours?"

"Angel," Buffy tested out his name and agreed that he indeed earned that name somehow. Angel gulped at the way Buffy said/breathed his nickname and didn't remember anyone else saying that sexily, even if it was innocently.

"Buffy," Angel said her name. Buffy was pleased that her name was said silkily from his mouth. She was about to say something when the teachers finally appeared and surrounded both Angel and Hogan. He managed to catch Buffy's eyes and yelled out, "See you around!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back in the present

"Eventually I found out that I had a lot of classes with her and her brother and all three of us just started hanging around. Buffy and I got closer and closer and I finally worked up urge to ask her out," Angel explained as he looked out of the window and spotted the FBI office coming up.

"How did you ask her out?" Doyle asked him, curious to know.

Angel laughed while remembering. Doyle pulled into the parking lot of the FBI building and drove up to the front. Angel sighed and smiled as he told Doyle. "In January of 1997 there was a talent show. Spike and I decided to compete in it and we sang the song 'Because the night.' Now it was the Bruce Springsteen version so don't go confusing the songs. In the middle of the guitar solo, I walked off the stage and walked over to Buffy who was sitting in the front row with her friend Faith and I asked her out."

Angel reached into his pocket and handed Doyle over a twenty dollar bill and looked at the building. "Wait here for a while. I'm going in there to get my gun."

Doyle just nodded and pocketed the twenty. Angel got out of the car and closed the door. He heard Doyle drive into a parking space and Angel walked into the building.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Wolfram & Hart

At the same time

"Buffy, your faxes just came through," Willow Rosenberg said to her boss. Fresh out of college, Willow was grateful that Buffy hired her personally. She was also grateful that she had a great friendship with the petite blond and knew a lot of things about her. Buffy nodded to her assistant and she walked over to her fax machine to get some papers. She read through them quickly and sighed as she got some more papers for another case.

"Wills, come over here," Buffy said as she sat down in her office chair. Willow quickly came over, or as quickly as she could with her pregnant belly would let her. Buffy smiled gently as she remembered her times like that. "When are you going to apply for the junior partner position?"

"After I birth this little one here," the red-head said as she lovingly ran her hand over her baby bump.

"How's Oz taking the pregnancy?" She recalled Willow's boyfriend lax attitude to everything.

"He's doing good, still not freaking out," Willow said as she looked around the familiar office. "Why do you ask?"

"Well you know that even though I work here, I'm still in the JAG program with the military. I'm going to need you to oversee an upcoming case here while I provide legal advice to NCIS," Buffy explained.

Willow's eyes fell to Buffy's picture hanging. In it, Buffy is dressed in a Navy Class A-Officer uniform and she's looking straight into the camera with a serious face. "I forget that you're still in the military."

Buffy nodded and took out a huge file from her cabinet behind her. "This all the information you need and get the paralegals to help out okay?"

Willow nodded and took the file from her and looked through the papers. "When is your FBI hubby getting here?" She asked suddenly.

Buffy just shrugged and stayed silent as she stared at her husband's military picture on her desk.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

FBI Headquarters

7:25 PM

Angel sighed once again as the Deputy Director of the LA branch of the FBI looked over once again at Angel's record. "You asked for a temporary reassignment here in LA, correct?"

"Yes I did sir," Angel calmly explained.

Deputy Director Flutie widened his eyes as he read over Angel's military record. "Wow, former Navy SEAL Sniper and Petty Officer Second Class. Honorably discharged from the Navy and—wow Senior Agent in DC for some time till an incident involving…" Flutie trailed off and looked up to Angel in shock. "You knocked out the Assistant Director of the FBI!?! How did that happen?!" Flutie asked in shock.

"He insulted my wife and I took offense to that. I was on suspension and everything, so they approved my temporary move to LA," Angel explained calmly.

Flutie looked around and whispered in almost a conspiracy-tone, "But didn't your wife leave you?"

"Hey, I still love her. Can't really blame me for defending her honor, plus I had witnesses to back me up," Angel managed to stay looking innocent, but he was laughing internally.

Flutie just shook his head and got out a piece of paper. He scribbled down some words and orders and called his assistant in. He gave his assistant the papers to file and then turned to Angel. "Here's the deal, you're going to have a partner," he saw Angel about to speak and put his hand up to silence him, "Not negotiable. That's what your director told me to do. Now your partner is the FBI LA liaison from Interpol. His name is Agent Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. You'll meet him tomorrow okay?"

"Yes sir," Angel said sarcastically.

"Now go get your sidearm from the armory. It's the basement level in case you're about to ask," Flutie explained. He then turned to his computer and Angel took it as his time to leave.

He walked over to the elevators and waited for them to open. Another agent with black hair came up next to him and waited silently for the elevator. Once it arrived, both of them went into the surprisingly empty elevator and Angel pressed the button to his floor after the other agent.

The ride was silent, but then broken by the agent next to Angel. "New agent?" Asked the man next to him.

"Transfer from DC," Angel explained.

"You're the guy who knocked out the director dude?"

"Yeah," Angel said but didn't explain further.

"Nice," the agent said.

The elevator descended into silence again and the elevator slowed down and dinged once it reached the agent's floor. "Special Agent Daniel Osborn, just call me Oz," the agent said.

"Special Agent Liam Connolly, just call me Angel," he said right back to Oz. Oz nodded stoically and walked out of the elevator after the doors opened. Angel was left to his thoughts, but before they become darker the elevator dinged as it arrived to the basement. He walked out and walked over to the opened door with weapons behind the agent reading a magazine. "I'm here to pick up my sidearm."

Without looking from the magazine, the female agent pointed to the clipboard in front of her. "Sign in your name and badge number."

Angel signed in and waited for the attending agent. She picked up the looked at the name. "FNG huh?" She suddenly asked.

"No, I'm just a transfer," Angel said.

"Oh, the guy who hit the big boss man huh?" The woman said while she looked to the computer.

"Does everyone know about that?" Angel said in surprise.

"Some of us heard, I did especially. Not every day a sexy agent comes to us from DC," the agent said. She went to the back and got a Glock 23 and walked back over to Angel. Angel slightly hissed through his teeth at the standard issue weapon and the agent heard. "What?" She asked annoyed.

"Well um, what's your name?" Angel asked nervously.

"Agent Anya Jenkins. Now what's the problem with this gun? You just point and shoot," she said.

"It's uh well—that's sort of my back up weapon. I use a M1911 .45 pistol," Angel explained.

"Oh okay, you're the guy that this package is for. It's specially marked for you," Anya said as she reached down and got a small brown package out. Angel opened the packed carefully and there was Angel's weapon back in DC. He also saw a note from his friend back in DC.

"Here's your gun, Nabbit," Angel read out loud. He picked up the black and chrome weapon and felt the familiar weight of it. Angel had such a gleeful look in his face that Anya had to say something, "Is that your orgasm face?"

Angel blanched and sputtered at Anya, "What?"

"It seems like you would have that face when you orgasm," Anya explained as she handed over the glock 23, ammo, clips, and gun holsters. Angel put on his shoulder gun holster and put his .45 in the holster. He then put his glock 23 in the single holster and put the holster to his side. He ignored Anya's explanation of orgasm faces and just walked away. When he got on the elevator he sighed in relief. "LA man," he muttered to himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Please read and Review! Next chapter is when Buffy and Angel meet up!