The fact that Angel's younger brother was the only other person who remained unaffected by his bad attitude did not make things any easier on him.

The entire ride home he refused to let up. Questions and jokes and assumptions just kept coming. Finally, Jenny had to step in and shut him up.

When they reached the house, Angel hurried in and to his room. Locking in and putting his headphones on as he heard Connor reach outside.

'This will not do,' he thought and let his mind drift over the confusing events of the day. He grabbed out his notebook and stared at the drawing he'd been working on. Again wondering what it was about her...

When Angel dared to take his headphones off again, he sighed in relief when he couldn't hear his brother any longer. He flipped over and grabbed out some of his homework and tired to get the rest of it done. Then, when he finished he came out of his room finally and started to help Jenny with dinner.

But, it wasn't long until, to his dismay, Connor came out as well. Thankfully, the onslaught of questions didn't come and he only helped set the table.

But, when they sat down.. well, that was just a whole new story.

"So, do tell me Angel, why haven't you been arrested for attempted murder on the new girl?" he asked, with a smirk.

Angel just shrugged, not really having any answer anyhow.

"Do you like her? Is that it?"

Angel glared at him from across the table, then he glared at Jenny as well, finally going back to the food before him.

A few minutes passed before Connor spoke up again. "Well?"

"Connor, leave your brother alone," Jenny stepped in.

Connor snickered, but did as he was told. He and Jenny then discussed their day, while Angel remained silent, thinking again about his own.

When they were through, the three of them all cleaned up. Jenny and Connor went to go catch the news, but he decided on a shower instead.

'Do you like her," Connor's question played in his mind. 'I don't even know her. And, even if I did, what does that even mean?' He sighed and closed his eyes, letting the water spill over him as his continued thoughts did as well. 'This is going to be a very long night," he thought wearily.

OoOoO

Angel woke up the next morning groaning at his alarm clock. After all, it had woken him up from a nice dream.

And he realized that it was the first time in years that he had been dreaming. Dreaming, instead of having the same nightmares of what brought he and Connor to live with Jenny.

But he didn't know what to think about the certain person he was dreaming about, or what that meant. But, he just wiped his eyes from sleep and started to get up.

He had plenty of time to dwell on all of that later.

OoOoO

The ride back to school had been a much better one, due to the fact Connor was half asleep the whole way. As usual. He was more thankful for this today than ever before though.

No questions, no answers.

He walked Jenny to her classroom and asked if she needed help with anything. She didn't and so she had shooed him out.

He headed to the library, this morning he found Giles already there at his desk, but he walked past him and right up to the stairs. And as the memories of the morning before suddenly hit him, he smiled and went to go put his things down before browsing the old shelves.

Nothing interested happened this morning, and time seemed to be slower than ever before to him.

Finally the bell rang though, and he gathered his things up and went off to class.

OoOoO

The morning hadn't gone any better for Angel though, not any of his morning classes had Buffy in them and he hadn't seen her in the halls at any point. It made him feel foolish looking for her in the first place, but that hadn't stopped him any.

When lunch came, Angel stood at his locker, putting a few of his books away while grabbing a few that he would need for his afternoon classes.

Suddenly, he felt someone's presence near him, their eyes on him. He clenched his jaw, and tried to control his anger.

Letting them have the chance to move away since he wasn't in the mood for this. But, when they did not move, he turned towards them, his 'look of death' in place, but once he realized it was Buffy, it quickly faded. And it actually turned into more of a surprised twinkle when he noticed she hadn't even flinched this time.

"You know, one might think you were trying to scare someone away looking at them like that," she said with a smirk.

Angel smiled, "Apparently though, it's not working."

"On me? Please," She waved the thought away. "Good thing, too."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Well, if you had scared me off then you wouldn't be invited to come eat lunch with me, now would you?"

"This is a bad thing?" He smirked and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes!" She smacked at him, "Now, hurry up."

Angel grabbed the last book he needed out and slowly closed his locker door, before he heard it shut though, she had grabbed him and started dragging him away. Again, neither of them seeming to notice or care about any of their peers reactions to seeing them together again.

Buffy pulled Angel over to her locker, which he sure didn't mind. Now he knew where it was.

It was like getting some sneak peak into her life.

She pulled out a small bag, then hurried to grab him and pull on him again. "You have to be nice," she informed him as they walked across the yard.

"Excuse me?"

"Nice. You."

"Nice to who?"

"My friends."

"Oh..." He suddenly thought this wasn't such a good thing after all.

"They're not going to bite you," She said, then stopped to look at him. "At least I don't think they will."

Angel chuckled. "Aren't you more worried about me?"

"Nope. See, if you don't play nice then you're not going to be invited again." She smiled and started pulling him on again.

"Well! Someone sure thinks highly of themselves."

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes, "says Mister Badass himself."

OoOoO

Willow was laughing at something Xander said, then happened to catch Buffy out of the corner of her eye as she shook her head. She also happened to notice who was with her. Liam Angelus.

Angel watched as Willow choked on her sandwhich as they approached the table. Buffy just smiled and said hello's to her friends.

He was uncomfortable with the entire situation.

"Well guys, I hope you don't mind, I invited Angel to come join us," She smiled his way, then began to pull on him to get him to sit down with her. "I'm sure you all know who each other are... but I doubt that you've been properly introduced," and so she proceeded to let everyone know who he was.

Angel kept his eyes lowered, but offered them a tight smile.

Very little conversation started, which didn't go by Buffy unoticed. She smiled to herself, 'This is going to be fun.' "Where's your lunch?" she asked Angel, now noticing he hadn't pulled any from his bag.

"Well, I was going to grab something out of the machine, but someone came along and drug me away."

"That is not lunch! Here, eat this," she handed him a sandwich and continued to give him at least half of everything she'd brought.

'What in God's name am I doing?' Angel wondered, while picking off a few grapes that Buffy offered to him.

He was half listening to her trying to get her friends to talk about their day so far.

"Hello? Anything interesting go on with you?" Buffy asked, then suddenly he felt himself getting nudge by her. Apparently having been talking to him this time.

"Huh? No."

She rolled her eyes, "You know, you should enjoy this quality time we're having here. You know you're going to miss me during study hall."

"I am?"

"Yep. I have to go have that talk with Mister Flutie... leaving you all alone," she frowned, then laughed.

"Why does he want to talk to you?" Willow asked, making Buffy brighten up some.

"Oh, just about my behavior at my old school," She shrugged, "Probably just wants to make sure I'm done and over with that, that I won't make the same mistakes or whatever."

"What did you do?"

"Oh.. you know, this and that. Nothing too bad."

"In your eyes," Angel muttered.

"Hush."

OoOoO

There wasn't as much converstation as their would have been, given if Angel didn't scare the bejesus out of everyone around, excluding Buffy, but with her there was more than there would have been with him around.

When the bell rang, Xander, being the seemingly happiest about this, for once happy to go to class, hurried up and got out of there. The others all had Ms Calender next, so started that way.

Willow snuck a glance over at Angel, something she would have never done before, feeling more amazed by this whole ordeal by the second. And almost went into shock when it seemed as though he felt her eyes on him and he turned towards her.

She was sure she was going to have a heart attack, right then, right there, but nothing happened. He didn't even give her 'the look.' He just looked away quickly.

'What in the hell did she do with him?' Willow wondered, looking over at Buffy. It was like she had arrived into bizarro world. Li.. Angel, almost human. And now, here she was, walking next to Buffy and him in the hall, getting all sorts of crazy looks that she was sure Buffy was used to, not that either of them seemed to notice.

OoOoO

Jenny looked up in surprise, seeing Angel... coming into class with her. That Buffy girl. She wasn't going to get used to this any time soon. And by the looks of everyone, she was sure no one was.

But, she couldn't help but smile. Feeling overjoyed that this girl had come to their town. "Hello," she greeted them walking in.

"So, anything fun planned for today?" Buffy asked her hopefully.

Jenny laughed, "I hope you see it that way."

"Cool," she smiled and turned to wave at Willow as she went to her seat, then grabbed at Angel once again, "You. Come on."

OoOoO

Angel snuck a peek back towards Jenny as Buffy pulled him to the back, she looked really happy. "I think my aunt likes you."

"Huh?"

'Oh, right. She probably wouldn't know.' "Um.. Jenny... Ms. Calender, she's my aunt. Me and my brother kind of live with her..."

"Oh. Oh! Cool. And more cool, I think she's nice. Wait... Brother?" She raised her eyebrows.

He felt a twing of jealousy, something he was pretty sure he'd never felt before in his life. "Yes. His name is Connor... he's younger... and an idiot."

"Anything like you?"

"No."

"Can't be all bad." She chuckled, more so when he glared at her. "So, why do live with Ms. Calender. Where's your parents?"

And at that moment, class started, saving him from having to try and get out of talking about that.

They took notes and listened to Jenny as she gave the lesson, before instructing them about their homework.

Buffy leaned over, getting his attention while Jenny wrote something on the board. "Forgot to say thanks for not being mean to my friends."

Angel just shrugged and glanced to check if Jenny had turned back yet.

"I do appreciated it, I know how hard that must have been for you," she quipped and patted his hand.

"Don't push your luck."

Buffy rolled her eyes and fell back over to her book.

Jenny, once again, only catching the end of their bantering and smiling to herself. Angel's face was turned down to his book, reading the pages he had been instructed to. But... the look on his face was enough to fill her heart.

He looked happy.

OoOoO

"So, why did you move to good ol' Sunnydale?" Angel asked as he walked with Buffy to Mrs. Walsh's class, after having been shooed away by Jenny.

Buffy smiled, she didn't have to start the conversation and she didn't have to drag him with her. "It was the only school close by that would take me.. you know, after what all I pulled."

"I can imagine," he said and ducked when she swung an elbow at him. "Why exactly didn't they throw your ass out sooner?" he asked with a hint of a laugh.

"Because... I... I wasn't always like that. God, okay, you know who Cordelia Chase is right?"

Angel nodded, the image of Queen C popping into his mind. Not so much an image he enjoyed to think about either.

"Well, I sort of... kind of... used to be a version of her."

He looked at her in total disbelief. He could see nothing of Cordelia Chase in her.

"I was!" She insiisted, "not that it's something I'm exactly proud of, but I was. But... then I changed and stuff."

He knew what that was like. He wasn't always how he was now either. People changed. Hell, they could become a completely different person. He knew he did.

"Have you always lived here?" she asked after a minute of silence. The walk to Walsh's taking longer than it should, but neither of them were in any hurry.

"Um.. no. I was born in Ireland actually... I lived there until I was like three. Then we moved to Boston." He told her, now just arriving at their destination. And thankful for that he sure was.

OoOoO

"You're gonna miss me, you know." Buffy called out as she gathered her books after class ended.

"Oh, yeah... that's right. I guess I won't be seeing you, huh?"

"Nope, but you'll be thinking about me," she smiled and winked. "Later Angelus." She laughed and started walking to gym.

Angel shook his head and started going the opposite direction.

OoOoO

Buffy's meeting with Mister Flutie wasn't anything she hadn't expected, except perhaps the length of it.

He asked about her life, how she was liking the school so far... even if it was only her second day, like she had so much to go on, about what all happened at her old school, her home life, which she darted around as much as possible, her hopes and plans, and, of course, Angel.

He never directly said anything about him, but it wouldn't take a genius to know who he was talking about. She just rolled her eyes at it all though, mentally, not wanting to get into trouble already.

But she let him talk and tried to do the best she could to answer his questions.

She heard the last bell ring, but he'd kept her in there with him longer. It made it seem more exhausting somehow, so she was more than thrilled when he let her go.

She thanked him for his time, he said if she ever needed anything... blah blah blah... and she went to go get her things and go home. She wasn't exactly in any hurry to go there though, unsure of what might be waiting, but she knew she had to walk and it was a lot closer than her mom's new business.

She sighed and figured she just deal with whatever came. Buffy grabbed what she needed from her locker and headed for the doors.

What she found outside of them shocked her. Angel. The back of him anyway. He was leaning against a car in the parking lot, his back to her.

Buffy smirked and silently walked over to him. "Well, gosh Angel, I knew you'd miss me and all but this..." She smiled and waved at him and the car, while he stood there looking kind of shocked, kind of amused, "is too much. Really. I mean, tomorrow is only Wednesday and I will be back here then."

Angel couldn't help but laugh, the tone in her voice, along with that expression... He really couldn't. "What can I say?" He smiled and shrugged. "you need a ride? Connor and Jenny will be out in a minute..."

"Thanks," she smiled, "but I really don't want to inconvience you any."

"You wouldn't be, trust me. Now the other two on the other hand..."

"I wouldn't finish that sentence." Connor warned, revealing him and Jenny as having arrived. "You must be Buffy, huh?"

"Yep, that would be me. Connor?"

"Yes ma'am." He replied, a devilish twinkle in his eye. Angel noticed it and tried to glare it away.

"Hi again Ms. Calender."

"Hello Buffy." She smiled, happy about her and Angel even more so, but felt a tiny bit of dread at whatever might be going through Connor's mind. "What are you still doing here?"

"Oh, well... I had to see Mister Flutie, and well, that went a little long and..."

"Angel's offering her a ride home, but she's reluctant to accept," Connor butted in.

"I don't want to be any trouble, thank you very much," she smirked his way.

Connor liked her.

"It's really no trouble, Buffy."

Buffy bit her lip, thinking. Finally she gave in. "If it's no trouble then..."

"It's not," Angel rushed to assure her.

"Yeah, so hop on in!" Connor followed, "You can sit up front. Where we headed?"

"Um.. thanks... um.. well.. I live on Revello Drive but if Crawford Street is closer I wouldn't mind going to my mom's work," She told them as she walked over to the other side of the car where Connor stood, holding the door for Jenny who got in then he followed. A big grin on his face.

"Well, we live on Crawford Street, so how about Angel drives us all there, huh?"

Buffy laughed, "Okay, well she bought the little coffee shop called The Espresso Pump..."

"And bought the empty space beside it, where she plans to put in a small art gallery," Angel finished.

Buffy stared at him. "How did you know?"

"I didn't know it was your mom who bought it, but there was a small article about the new ownership in the newspaper..." He told her as he started the car and headed off.

"Oh. She bought it before we actually moved here... but still... word gets around huh?"

Connor snickered, earning a glare from both Jenny and Angel.

"Small town," Angel offered, feeling uneasy about everything now. Too small of a space. Jenny. Connor. His general uneasiness with people. Plus his whole unsure mess that had to do with her.

A few minutes of silence passed, Jenny decided it was time to break it. "So Buffy, do you have any siblings?"

"Yeah, I have a younger sister, Dawn. She'll be starting high school next year. And she is quite the pain."

"Hey, I have him as a brother," Connor chipped in.

Buffy laughed, "That's true. And what is that like?"

"Oh, my, The stories I could tell you!" Connor could almost feel Angel's thoughts of strangling him.

"I bet!" Buffy laughed.

"I bet he won't," Angel growled out.

And for the rest of the way Connor continued to flirt with the idea of doing something to embarrass his brother, find out this and that about this Buffy girl, and what the hell was going on between them.

And when he got it out of her to tell how they met, only the day before he had to remind himself, he had no doubt in his mind why Angel was different with her. Whether he knew it or not, Connor was going to make sure he did something about it.

OoOoO

After Buffy had thanked Angel for the ride, promised to bug him tomorrow, and to see Jenny, then told him how nice it was to have met him, Connor made a point in telling her which house was theirs. And he all but made her promise to come over sometime before she got out.

Having Angel and her together in the car had been sort of surreal. Connor couldn't believe it, still. It was quite an experience.

Angel talked with her, had actual conversations with her. He joked with her, argued with her. Angel smiled with her!

There was always a new rumor about Angel, and Connor heard them all. Over the years he'd gotten used to them, but he really hadn't been expecting the ones he heard yesterday.

There was no way in hell he was going to believe it, and he didn't, not until he saw it for himself. But, before then, it was just so.. laughable! Angel wasn't exactly the welcoming committee. Angel knew he never spoke with anyone, never acknowleged anyone. He knew all about 'the look.' He knew people were afraid of him, never speaking to him. He knew it all, so this was just unbelievable.

Angel shut down years ago. Connor knew why, Angel knew that he knew, but they never talked about it. Not once. And Angel just turned into what he was, just like that, and that's how it remained.

He hardly even had any relationship with Jenny, but what they did have didn't even start until over a year after he'd lived there. That was the extent of him ever branching out.

Until now apparently.

Connor had stood in shock yesterday after seeing them together for the first time. It was like the world had just spun out of control.

He had been running to get something out of his locker that he'd forgotten when he heard Angel laughing. Loudly.

Angel. Laughing. In he library. In the school. In public.

Connor snuck over and peeked inside of of the windows, his eyes going wide in surprise. Angel wasn't in his usual hidden place, he was center stage almost. And, he was sitting by the girl he had no doubt was this Buffy chick. And she was making him laugh! He just knew it was her by the look on both of their faces, and everyone elses. It was insane.

He completely forgot about what he was doing, headed to Jenny's class and pulled her out asking what the hell was going on.

OoOoO

Angel headed into his room, preparing to get his homework done. Before Buffy he wouldn't have had any. Since she wasn't in Study Hall today, he knew he shouldn't have any, anyhow. Yet, he did. Instead of concentrating on the work before him, he was thinking about her. Questioning himself and his actions over the past two days. 'What in the hell is so different about her?'

He still didn't have an answer. His draw to her was something he couldn't explain.

Angel shook his head, shaking the thoughts away the best he could, and tried to get his homework finished.

He could think about this Buffy situation later, and knew, without a doubt, that he would.

OoOoO

Buffy sat at the counter alongside Dawn, asking about how her day went and talking to her mom as she would passed by to do this and that.

She had survived her second day at Sunnydale High. She had made some really great potential friends. Willow, Xander and Jesse were all fantastic, open and warm. Even if she'd only known them less than forty-eight hours, there was something special there.

Then, there was the topic of Angel, which just threw her so far off.

She heard so many warnings about him the past few days, she was thinking they should make a label for him to wear. Of course then she knew she'd be the one to make him wear it, which made her chuckle at the thought. People were acting so weirded out.

She did really wonder what was up though. He was nothing like they painted him to be. She'd only seen a few flashes of this 'monster' but it still didn't explain much.

Dawn was enjoying school as well, her mother loved her business. The coffee shop was to be more like a small diner of sorts, and the gallery was her brainchild. It was far from being done, she'd been over there, she'd seen... but her mother had such high hopes for it. She took her over there and painted it in her mind so well, Buffy could see it already.

She was happy, truly happy.

And that scared her.

The other shoe had to drop sometime.

It always did.