Not a Meg Movie

Buffy stood awkwardly in the hallway, watching as Xander waltzed around his guests. She hadn't seen Willow for almost half an hour. Maybe she was with Oz...he had been absent for much of the party too.

'Hey,' whispered a voice from behind her. She whirled round and came face to face with Angel.

'Hey,' she said softly, shuddering when she locked eyes with him. All she wanted to do was kiss him, and forget all about the chaos that had overcome her normally chaotic life.

'Can we talk?', he asked. He looked so serious and so sexy that Buffy couldn't find a reason to say no.

'Sure,' she gulped, holding his gaze steadily. 'Let's go somewhere quiet.'

He nodded, and they headed upstairs silently.

'Now, what do guys recommend we should do?' asked Xander to his wild party crowd. Everyone had gathered into his living room, and were getting increasingly drunk and rowdy.

'Strip Monopoly!' came the shouts, and Xander winced. He was NOT very good at Monopoly.

'Horror Movies!', shouted another group.

Faith walked straight into the room and lifted an eyebrow. 'Horror movies? Please. Xander wouldn't last 5 minutes before screaming off into the wilderness.'

Xander did a double take. 'Faith? What are you doing here?'

She folded her arms. 'I guess someone forgot the official invitation. To forgive or not forgive...I'm thinking of how to punish you.'

Xander widened his eyes , then regained his composure. 'Uh, well, welcome to my little get-together.

Feel free to swig beer. Its in the kitchen. And under the side table. And possibly in the shower.'

'That's more like it,' she declared, dispersing in the crowd gathered on the couch.

'Woohoo!' shouted a jock. He held up a video that someone had found from his parents video horror collection. He read the title, and sighed. Interview With a Vampire. It was going to be a long night.

Upstairs, in the spare room, Buffy sat with Angel on a small bed. She swept a strand of hair beneath her ears nervously.

'Angel, I'm sorry that-'

'Buffy, I didn't mean to-' he said at the same time. They both stopped, and laughed.

'You first,' she ordered.

He cleared his throat.' Buffy, I just wanted to apologize for scaring you last night. You know, I would never hurt you. Not after...'

Buffy's eyes stung with tears as she saw her soul mate turn his head away in shame.

'I'm sorry too,' she said firmly. 'I should never have doubted you, brought up the past just because I couldn't deal being afraid. Why do you put up with me Angel?' Her face crumpled as she remembered him locked in the library cage.

He enveloped her with strong arms. 'Sshh,' he comforted. 'Let's forget about all that. From now on, we work together. No secrets. Okay?'

She nodded, relieved. They were both silent for a moment.

'Buffy, I need to tell you something. Something important. Its about Giles...'

'Giles?' she asked, sitting up. 'What, is he in danger? Where is he?'

'No, he's fine, I think,' he assured. 'Its just...he's a little...off. The questions he asked me last night, they were unbalanced. He kept talking about revenge, and how Sunnydale had brought nothing but pain and misery to him. He wanted to know that he was going to get even with me, one way or another.'

Buffy shook her head ruefully. 'That doesn't sound like Giles. Then again, everything has been of the wacky lately. I don't know who to trust, or not.'

'That's not your-'

'Yes it is,' she interrupted. 'I'm the Slayer. Its my duty to slay evil mysterious things with death on their mind.'

Angel held her tighter, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

'I'm scared, Angel.'

In the living room, Xander sat amongst his party crowd, looking bored.

'Oh yeah!', shouted a cheerleader next to him. 'Brad Pitt is so hot!'

'Tom Cruise is nicer,' shrilled another girl.

'I personally think Antonio Banderas makes the better vampire,' a jock seethed. 'Its like, the hair and-'

'Can you all please shut up about vampires?' Xander insisted, as arguments about better vampires were on the way. 'Or I'll put on a Meg Ryan movie.'

Everyone groaned. Xander smiled to himself as people settled down. He liked being the host of the party.

Faith gave Xander a knowing smile.

'I prefer Christian Slater myself. Vampires just don't float my boat.'

Some time later, people began to leave, drunkenly driving down the roads.

'Great party,' nodded Faith. 'Now I know who to come to when I feel like letting loose.'

'Yeah, well don't ask me to do that again,' he sighed dramatically. He surveyed the party debris with a look of horror.

'I better get going,' she winked. 'Got places to go, people to see.'

'Hey, aren't you going to-'

But a Faith had already gone.

Exhausted, Xander collapsed onto the sofa, and turned on the tv.

Buffy's eyelids fluttered, and she realized that she had fallen asleep in Angel's arms.

'You are some miracle worker,' she whispered,'I just feel so untense when you're around.'

Angel stroked her hair gently. 'My presence seems to make some people feel the opposite. But thanks.'

Buffy grabbed a hairbrush from her purse, and run it slowly through her hair. 'Angel,' she said suddenly, 'why did you try to get through my bedroom window last night?'

He looked down, and Buffy wished that she knew what he was thinking. 'I was just worried for you. The Sunnydale rumor mill has been pretty active lately, I've heard a few things. Sorry to alarm you.'

'No, its okay,' she said, looking puzzled. 'But can you for once cut with the cryptic??'

He looked at her square in the eyes. 'Spike. He's apparently in town. I haven't seen him lurking about yet, but I have a gut feeling that he may have had something to do with the murders.'

Buffy's gut feeling told her otherwise. 'I don't know, it's just, why would he come back to Sunnydale just tokill Snyder? Doesn't fit.'

Angel stood up for a moment. 'You still don't trust me.'

'No, no, its not that!' she persisted as he opened the door to leave. 'It's just, well. It's so confusing-'

'Yeah, well there's only so much I can take of this!' he exclaimed, 'I am what I am, Buffy. You've seen the worst of me. All I ask is that you can-'

Suddenly, his eyes widened with horror. 'Buffy?'

And with that, Angel disintegrated into dust.

Buffy screamed, as in the doorway stood the masked murderer, his black eyes oozing with blood.