Title: The Beginning of Nothing

Chapter 4 of "Better Than Heaven"

Warning: I writing this now, but just beware that I'm pretty junked up on cold medicine, and this might not be my best work.

A/N: I'll probably be adding many new chapter soon, since my Christmas break starts Friday and I'll have a lot of free time on my hands.

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Buffy picked Manning up from preschool for the rest of the week. It was odd, though, to see Riley, but not SEE Riley. What could have happened to him: amnesia or military chips or traumatic shock? She would walk in and find her son playing with Matthew in the same spot in the back. There would be a lot of odd glances and pauses, at least on Buffy's part. Even though he wasn't exactly the boy she had almost fallen in love with four years ago, he still had the same sincere eyes and protective gestures that made her want to be with him in the first place.

/Maybe it's better for him this way, not to remember the pain or the loss. Sometimes I wish I didn't remember some things; that may have been for the better. If I forgot some things, maybe it wouldn't hurt so much. /

Friday afternoon came, and Buffy went to pick her little boy up. It would be the last time in awhile- her classes started again next week and Cordelia would pick him up.

Buffy found Matthew and Manning in their little part of the room. Manning seemed so happy when he was with Matthew.

/Manning doesn't have a father figure. I suppose he's just trying to find one himself. God knows I'm not getting one for him anytime soon. /

Matthew gave Buffy a nervous glance he saw her.

"Hey little man." Buffy kneeled down to Manning and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"Hi Buffy." Matthew dug his hands into his pockets.

"Hey R-Matthew. I guess this is the last I'll time I'm gonna be seeing you."

"Yeah, I suppose, unless you want to-"

"Want to what?"

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner sometime. With me. I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner with me."

Buffy's first thoughts screamed 'NO.' Go out on a date with your ex- boyfriend who you let run off to the jungle and now doesn't remember anything? Sounds like fun. But maybe if she went, she might learn more about him, see what he actually does remember.

So, against her better judgment, she said 'yes,' and was scheduled to have dinner at some Italian restaurant on the next night at eight.

/Geeze, what have you gotten yourself into now? But hey, maybe it'll be good for you, getting out and about. /









It was 7:38 on Saturday night, and Buffy was applying the finishing touches to her make up. She heard the doorbell ring, and screamed 'It's Open,' to her visitor.

"Hey Buffy! Where's my favorite little boy?" Cordelia shouted from the doorway.

The footsteps of the little boy littered the halls, followed by a squeal of delight as he was being lifted into Cordelia's arm.

"Hey little man, how are you?" Cordelia gave his tiny nose a tickle.

"Hi Cordeeldy-uh."

"Hey Cordelia. Thanks so much for watching him for such short notice." Buffy walked down the hall toward her son and Cordelia, her hands around the back of her neck latching her necklace.

"No problem. Jackson hasn't called me in a week. A week! Can you believe that?" Cordelia's voice was getting louder and higher. She probably would have been making huge hand gestures, except she needed both hands to hold up Manning.

"Yeah, well, some guys are just like that."

"So, when's Riley coming? I've heard way to much about him to not know him." She was changing the subject to pull herself away from another rant about men.

"First of all, his name's Matthew now. And should be here around eight."

"Whatever his name is, I'm still looking forward to meeting 'Mister Strong, Studly Iowa." She gave Buffy a sly, inquisitive look and set Manning to the ground.

Cordelia followed Manning into the living room, which had a little more room to live in now, since Buffy had had time to unpack that week. Buffy went back into her room to finish her hair.

"How are things on the acting front?" Buffy yelled from her bedroom.

After Angel had died, Cordelia stopped getting her visions. Without Angel, what was the point of the visions? The one sent to help wasn't there anymore. Wesley, Cordelia, Fred, and Gunn had tried to continue on without him, but it had become fruitless. Four mere humans, no matter how much experience they possessed, couldn't hold together enough to take on the more dangerous aspects that the job entailed.

Wesley and Gunn started out working out Caritas, but eventually, the Host made them full-time employees, almost partners. While without the thrills and spills of Angel Investigations, they could still keep a tab on the doings of the underworld. Angel's death drove Fred back into a corner of her world that she had tried so hard to flee from. She tried to stay in LA for a little while, but she now had no room to lock herself into. She moved back to Texas to live with her parents.

Without the visions to interfere with her regular life, she now needed an everyday job to fit a normal life. She started the acting bit again, landing a few minor jobs here and there, but still not getting her 'big break.'

"It's OK. I have another audition next week."





The doorbell rang at 7:56. Cordelia eagerly answered the door. There stood Riley, in a long-sleeve black shirt that seemed to cling to his chest and outline his muscles, and a pair of your usual khaki pants.

"Hi. I'm Matthew. is Buffy here?"

"Yeah, she should be out in a minute. I'm Cordelia." Cordelia had a big smile on her face as she gave Matthew the once over.

/He's good, raw material, but a little to down-on-the-farm for my tastes. But hey, whatever rocks the dock./

"I'm Matthew." He said, but his attention was soon diverted by a small blonde figure walking slowly down the hall. Buffy was wearing a dark brown silk halter-top with camel colored leather pants. Her hair hung perfectly straight down her back.

"Hey Matthew." Buffy added a small, nervous smile.

"Hey."

"I see you've already met Cordelia."

"Yeah, we were just introducing ourselves, until I my mouth sort of stopped working when you walked in." There was something about Buffy that just drove him wild. She seemed.well, different then other women he had met, yet eerily familiar.

"Oh." Flattery was good, it just made her a bit nervous, though.

"Well, I guess we better be going."

Buffy grabbed her coat and gave a few last minute instructions to Cordelia.

"He has to be in be early. And don't let him have too much sugar." she clamored as she headed out the door.

"Don't worry about us! We'll be fine! And we're going to talk when you get back!" Cordelia shouted as Buffy headed to Matthew's car. She couldn't wait to know more of what happened with Iowa boy.

She slowly climbed into Matthew's car, and embarked on a very interesting night with someone she used to know.