A/N: I just want to apologise if updates are less frequent. I do have an excuse; I'm back in school doing my A-Levels but I'll try and update as often as I can. Once again thanks for all the reviews.

Chapter 21

Xander and Buffy stood by Buffy's locker gathering her stuff so they could finally go home. Xander was holding Buffy's baby who she had yet to name while she rummaged in the metal box.

"Xander! Xander!" A voice was shouting from the other end of the corridor. Buffy grabbed her mechanical baby from him while he dealt with the mother of his child "I have a party tonight so you have to take it with you" She shoved the doll into his arms

"Were supposed to be doing this together" Xander told her

"Oh please, I'd rather be a single mother which is so not going to happen. By the way I've name it Paris and I'll drop some baby clothes by your house for it"

When Cordelia was out of sight Xander turned to Buffy who was laughing to herself

"She does know it's not a real baby right? She'll be having me for child support next"

"Well it looks like me and you going to be single parents throughout the assignments" Buffy said. She hadn't seen Angel since sex ed class but doubted very much he was going to help her with anything

"Not me, I'm locking this thing in the basement when I get home. There is no way a doll is going to wake me up in the middle of the night"

"But then you'll fail" Buffy stated obviously

"Yup and so will Cordelia" Xander grinned. Anything was worth seeing Cordelia's face when the teacher handed her a F. His smile quickly turned into a frown as a certain tall and dark haired guy strutted down the hallway, he stopped right in front of Xander pretending he wasn't there

"Where are you going?" Angel asked blocking Xander out.

"Home" Buffy almost snapped. She wasn't going to let him wind her up, it was what he wanted and she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction

"But you have my baby there" Angel said smugly examining the doll closely. It actually looked like a real baby with the eyes that hadn't yet colored. The doll's skin wasn't plastic it was more like rubber adding to it looking like a real baby.

"I want to pass this assignment and I doubt we will if I leave you to look after it. You'll probably leave it at a party or something" Buffy muttered trying to keep her cool

"You know what Buff? I'm really hurt"

"Don't call me that" Buffy snapped, so much for keeping her cool

"Don't call you what, Buff? It's your name"

"No my name is Buffy"

"Ok BUFFY, you coming over mine so we can play happy families together or what?" Buffy shot him a chilling look "Ok I get it you don't like me..."

"Understatement" She grunted

"If I was you I wouldn't like me either but I'm not you and well I love me, I can't help it it's just who wouldn't love me" He paused for a moment looking at her speechless face. Could he be more in love with himself? Buffy wondered 

"Except for you that is but I know you like me really and the sooner you get over this little thing you got for me the better cause we got an assignment to do and I have rights you know, as a Dad and all that"

"This little thing I've got for you? I haven't got anything for you! God you are so unbelievable. If you want the stupid doll that much here have it" She shoved the doll into Angel's arms and stormed off

"That's going to come up on the program" He shouted after her turning the baby to hold it in the right position before running after her "Come on Buff you need to study and we can have family photo's, it'll look great for the assignment"

Buffy sighed. She knew he was right, she did need to study and pictures would definitely up their mark and she could use all the marks she could get

"Fine! But I still don't like you"

"You will"

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The huge mansion had changed immensely since Buffy had been there last. The brown and beige paint had been replaced by a pale shade of orange and the furniture had been changed to egg chairs and modern art painting and statues. Raised voices could be heard from the kitchen. Buffy looked anywhere but at Angel who was either burning with embarrassment at the sound of the shouting or burning with range. Which? She couldn't be sure but she was sure that it took a lot to embarrass him

"Sorry, the parents are back. Come upstairs" He said to her climbing the fairytale steps. She followed without asking question's making sure the doll's head didn't bob as she jogged up the steps

They got to a door and Angel pushed it open revealing the massive black wooden four poster bed in the middle of the room. The curtains around the bed 

were pure white, unlike him. Buffy almost laughed when she saw the mirrored wardrobes going from one end to the room to the other. No wonder he was so vain she thought. The desk was filled with hair products, sprays and cologne. The bed faced a large plasma screen that was fitted into the wall and in the corner was the surround sound. Unlike the hall way there was no grand chandelier only a large paper light that fitted well with the room. The cream carpet looked like it hadn't once seen a stain and probably hadn't. The room truly looked like a show room it was so organized until Buffy emptied her bag on the cream carpet and her books scattered the floor

"Where do you want to start?" She asked putting the baby down gently on the silk sheets

"Uh how about Martin Luther King?"

"I don't get why we have to learn that stupid speech" Buffy groaned. Angel chuckled at her; she looked so cute when she wrinkled her nose

"It's not stupid Buffy. Martin Luther King's speech inspired a lot of people. It's the reason why we're in class with people of different races. Ok it's one of the reasons. Before then white people thought they were above everyone else"

"Uh Angel? You're white" Buffy pointed out. Again he chuckled

"Yeah but I don't think I'm above everyone else" Buffy looked at him with her eyebrow's raised

"So what about Jonathan? Warren? Me? You think you're above all of us"

"It's a totally different thing besides I don't think I'm above you"

"Don't you? And it is the same. You expect Warren to get up and give you his seat just like that white man expected Rosa Parks too" Buffy smiled at herself, giving her extra points to her reference to Rosa Parks.

"Well it seems you do listen" Angel grinned "Are you calling me racist Buffy Summer's? Cause in case you haven't noticed my best friends black and I would be quite offended if you are"

"I'm not calling you racist Angel, I'm calling you geekist" Buffy re thought what she had said and wished she could take it back. She could see Angel was going to put up one hell of an argument

"Geekist? There's no such work and even if there were I am not geekist"

"So why don't you ever talk to anyone outside your click?" Buffy quizzed

"Because I'm shy" Angel shrugged. It wasn't true, he was anything but shy and Buffy knew that

"Yeah ok" Buffy nodded sarcastically as he opened the book with a picture of Martin Luther King on the front

"I have a dream" Angel read out aloud

"I have a dream that Angel O'Neil would quit being such a jackass" Buffy remarked. Angel lifted his eyes looking at Buffy over the book wondering whether to ignore her comment or address it. Shutting the book with a snap he decided to ignore it

"Tell me something Buffy"

"Eh?" Buffy asked crossing her legs on the cream floor

"Tell me something that nobody knows about you" Angel's voice seemed to plead for an answer

"What so tomorrow it could be all over school?" Buffy scoffed. Gossip travelled like lighting at the small school of Sunnydale High especially if Cordelia Chase was the one spreading it

"Is that what you think of me?" Angel asked, he seemed genuinely offended "That anything you tell me I'll go back and tell Cordelia? Cause if it is then, then I don't know. Maybe you should just go" Angel stood up and gathered Buffy's books to put them back in her bag

"Angel I'm sorry" Buffy brushed her blond hair with the ends of her fingers feeling really bad. For a moment there was a slight connection between the two and she just ruined it by opening her big mouth

"I'll see you out" Angel handed her, her bag and led her too the door. Too his dismay his mother was in the hallway looking at the weird four armed sculpture she bought the other day

"Oh Angel" Clarissa said then her eyes noticed Buffy who bit her lip shyly feeling rather intimidated "I didn't know you had company"

"Yeah Buffy and I were just studying" Angel muttered avoiding his mother's gaze. She was really unbelievable sometimes. She hadn't mentioned the argument they had last night, not that he minded

"You must excuse my son, he has no manners. Why don't you come join us in the living area" It wasn't a question it was almost like a command

Buffy looked at Angel who bowed his head

"...uh... I think I should be getting home" Buffy stuttered. Getting home? Couldn't she think of a better excuse

"Nonsense" Clarissa said pulling Buffy into the re decorated living area "So Buffy what do your parents do?"

"Well my dad, I don't see him much and I mother owns a small art gallery" Buffy saw Clarissa's eyes brighten at the mention of art

"Oh I just love art don't I Angel" Her eyes turned to her only son who was sitting on the arm of the chair. Angel said nothing, just mumbled something that no would could quite understand "Where is the gallery maybe I've heard of it or even bought some pieces there?"

"I doubt it. When I said small I meant tiny"

Clarissa's smile turned into a frown and there was an awkward silence in the room. Buffy twiddled her fingers really wanting to get out of this situation

"Where's Cordelia?"

"I don't know" Angel answered sneaking a quick glance at Buffy

"I better go now" Buffy sat up from the leather couch and made her way to the double doors. She held the handle with her eyes shut. They had a moment, a brief little moment and she ruined it all.