******
Part Six
Later that evening
"You're sure this is casual?" Buffy hollered from her bedroom.
"Positive," Angel said from the living room. "Buffy, just throw
something on."
"Somehow I don't think either Carly or Sonny have EVER just
thrown something on," Buffy muttered. She finally found a pair of
black jeans, and a red silk short-sleeved shirt. "Thank you Jake
for the loan," she said. "That ratty t-shirt wouldn't have worked
tonight."
She walked out and stopped to openly gawk at Angel for a moment
before he noticed. He was in black jeans as well, Buffy smiled
when she realized he must like dark colors. He was also wearing a
dark blue polo shirt.
He turned then, and smiled at her, "Perfect," he commented. "You
are probably going to make Carly jealous in fact. She doesn't
like other women looking as good or better than she does."
Buffy smiled, and asked, "And which category do I fit into?"
"Better, definitely," Angel replied, grinning when he saw the
compliment had made Buffy blush.
"Okay, let's go," she said, and preceded him into the hall. She
greeted Ritchie, who had taken up duty outside Sonny's door.
"Go on in," Ritchie said. "They're expecting you."
Buffy felt Angel's hand in the small of her back, and smiled. *He
must sense that I'm likely to run back to the safety of my
apartment at any time.*
"There they are," Sonny said with a grin, as he exited the
kitchen with a little boy, about two years old, with blond hair
and blue eyes. "Michael has been asking about you all day,
Angel." He set Michael on his feet and Buffy giggled as she saw
Michael make a beeline for Angel, and wrap his arms around his
legs, saying, 'a-jel!'
"Hey, Kid," Angel smiled down at him and lifted him up into his
arms. "Where's your mom?"
"She's still getting ready," Sonny replied with a roll of his
eyes. "Women."
"Hey," Buffy gave him a look, "Not all of us are that bad."
"Oh, no," Sonny grinned at her. "Angel told me how long you made
him stay at the mall with you yesterday. Three hours is cruel and
unusual punishment."
Buffy giggled again, and replied, "You men just do NOT understand
what we go through for you."
"I second that," Buffy looked up as she heard a woman's voice
from the stairway. *So that's Carly Roberts*
Buffy had heard many stories about the woman, but had never met
her. She'd seen her picture in the paper a few times, but it had
not done her justice. Carly was tall, blonde, and her attitude
let the world know that she knew she was beautiful. She'd chosen
a long black ankle-length cotton dress, with spaghetti straps.
Sonny was also in black, wearing a black silk shirt, and black
slacks. *Another man who looks good in dark colors,* Buffy mused.
She was vaguely aware that Sonny was speaking to her, and
realized by Angel's hand on her elbow that he'd asked them to sit
down. Angel was still holding Michael, though he didn't seem to
mind in the least. They all sat on the long couch, and as soon as
they were sitting Michael decided that was way too boring. He ran
off, Buffy assumed to make the worst mess possible away from the
eyes of the adults.
"So, Buffy," Carly said, "Mom tells me you are going to be
working at the diner."
"Yeah," Buffy replied. "Jake and I have known each other for a
while, and she mentioned that she and Bobbie coud use the help."
"How's everything else going?" Sonny asked, keeping the topic
vague enough to let Buffy know that Carly did _not_ know
everything. Buffy appreciated this.
"It's good, Sonny, thanks," she smiled back at him. "Angel's a
good shadow."
"The best I've got," Sonny agreed.
Buffy looked over in time to see that Angel beaming under the
praise, but quickly recovered the stoic expression she typically
saw on his face. Michael ran past the couch then squealing,
amusing himself as only children can. The adults laughed,
watching him, and Buffy said, "Carly, Michael is so adorable."
"Thanks," Carly smiled at her, "I think so, too, but I've been
told by some people I'm biased."
Once Angel and Sonny were convinced the women were getting along,
they drifted to the other side of the room. Sonny had seen the
looks passed between the two, so the first words out of his mouth
were, "She's a pretty girl."
Angel gave Sonny a look, and shrugged in response. "Sure."
"Uh-huh," Sonny gave him an incredulous look, and said, "Just
make sure it doesn't get in the way of your job."
"Have I ever let anything get in the way of my job?" Angel asked.
"Fair enough," Sonny replied. "Just be careful. I don't have to
tell you that what we do can endanger the people around us as
well as ourselves."
"I know, Sonny," Angel said. "So do you think we can manage with
her working at the Diner?"
"When you told me the stuff Rivera pulled last night, I had
Markus deliver a message. I made it very clear to Mr. Rivera that
it is in his best interest not to torment Miss Summers any
longer. Now whether or not he heeds my warning is a completely
different matter. But the important thing is he's been warned."
"Hey!" Carly hollered at the two men. "No talking business you
two, and that's an order! Now get over here, and enjoy the
evening."
"Yes, Ma'am," Sonny replied with a roll of his eyes as the two men
rejoined the women on the couch.
*********
End 6
Part Six
Later that evening
"You're sure this is casual?" Buffy hollered from her bedroom.
"Positive," Angel said from the living room. "Buffy, just throw
something on."
"Somehow I don't think either Carly or Sonny have EVER just
thrown something on," Buffy muttered. She finally found a pair of
black jeans, and a red silk short-sleeved shirt. "Thank you Jake
for the loan," she said. "That ratty t-shirt wouldn't have worked
tonight."
She walked out and stopped to openly gawk at Angel for a moment
before he noticed. He was in black jeans as well, Buffy smiled
when she realized he must like dark colors. He was also wearing a
dark blue polo shirt.
He turned then, and smiled at her, "Perfect," he commented. "You
are probably going to make Carly jealous in fact. She doesn't
like other women looking as good or better than she does."
Buffy smiled, and asked, "And which category do I fit into?"
"Better, definitely," Angel replied, grinning when he saw the
compliment had made Buffy blush.
"Okay, let's go," she said, and preceded him into the hall. She
greeted Ritchie, who had taken up duty outside Sonny's door.
"Go on in," Ritchie said. "They're expecting you."
Buffy felt Angel's hand in the small of her back, and smiled. *He
must sense that I'm likely to run back to the safety of my
apartment at any time.*
"There they are," Sonny said with a grin, as he exited the
kitchen with a little boy, about two years old, with blond hair
and blue eyes. "Michael has been asking about you all day,
Angel." He set Michael on his feet and Buffy giggled as she saw
Michael make a beeline for Angel, and wrap his arms around his
legs, saying, 'a-jel!'
"Hey, Kid," Angel smiled down at him and lifted him up into his
arms. "Where's your mom?"
"She's still getting ready," Sonny replied with a roll of his
eyes. "Women."
"Hey," Buffy gave him a look, "Not all of us are that bad."
"Oh, no," Sonny grinned at her. "Angel told me how long you made
him stay at the mall with you yesterday. Three hours is cruel and
unusual punishment."
Buffy giggled again, and replied, "You men just do NOT understand
what we go through for you."
"I second that," Buffy looked up as she heard a woman's voice
from the stairway. *So that's Carly Roberts*
Buffy had heard many stories about the woman, but had never met
her. She'd seen her picture in the paper a few times, but it had
not done her justice. Carly was tall, blonde, and her attitude
let the world know that she knew she was beautiful. She'd chosen
a long black ankle-length cotton dress, with spaghetti straps.
Sonny was also in black, wearing a black silk shirt, and black
slacks. *Another man who looks good in dark colors,* Buffy mused.
She was vaguely aware that Sonny was speaking to her, and
realized by Angel's hand on her elbow that he'd asked them to sit
down. Angel was still holding Michael, though he didn't seem to
mind in the least. They all sat on the long couch, and as soon as
they were sitting Michael decided that was way too boring. He ran
off, Buffy assumed to make the worst mess possible away from the
eyes of the adults.
"So, Buffy," Carly said, "Mom tells me you are going to be
working at the diner."
"Yeah," Buffy replied. "Jake and I have known each other for a
while, and she mentioned that she and Bobbie coud use the help."
"How's everything else going?" Sonny asked, keeping the topic
vague enough to let Buffy know that Carly did _not_ know
everything. Buffy appreciated this.
"It's good, Sonny, thanks," she smiled back at him. "Angel's a
good shadow."
"The best I've got," Sonny agreed.
Buffy looked over in time to see that Angel beaming under the
praise, but quickly recovered the stoic expression she typically
saw on his face. Michael ran past the couch then squealing,
amusing himself as only children can. The adults laughed,
watching him, and Buffy said, "Carly, Michael is so adorable."
"Thanks," Carly smiled at her, "I think so, too, but I've been
told by some people I'm biased."
Once Angel and Sonny were convinced the women were getting along,
they drifted to the other side of the room. Sonny had seen the
looks passed between the two, so the first words out of his mouth
were, "She's a pretty girl."
Angel gave Sonny a look, and shrugged in response. "Sure."
"Uh-huh," Sonny gave him an incredulous look, and said, "Just
make sure it doesn't get in the way of your job."
"Have I ever let anything get in the way of my job?" Angel asked.
"Fair enough," Sonny replied. "Just be careful. I don't have to
tell you that what we do can endanger the people around us as
well as ourselves."
"I know, Sonny," Angel said. "So do you think we can manage with
her working at the Diner?"
"When you told me the stuff Rivera pulled last night, I had
Markus deliver a message. I made it very clear to Mr. Rivera that
it is in his best interest not to torment Miss Summers any
longer. Now whether or not he heeds my warning is a completely
different matter. But the important thing is he's been warned."
"Hey!" Carly hollered at the two men. "No talking business you
two, and that's an order! Now get over here, and enjoy the
evening."
"Yes, Ma'am," Sonny replied with a roll of his eyes as the two men
rejoined the women on the couch.
*********
End 6