DISCLAIMER: I don't own them. I don't own them. No matter how many times I
say it, it's still true.
DISTRIBUTION: If you want, you may have. Just let me know, OK?
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Hey! This is based on Victoria's challenge called the Family that was posted at BA_Fluff. It's mafia story and is entirely AU. EXTRA DISCLAIMER: The way in which Italians are portrayed in this story is not, and is not intended to be in any way a portrayal of all Italians. This is a story about a very small fraction of fictional Italian-Americans based partly in truth. I appreciate the concerns that people have raised about the way in which I've portrayed Italians in the story. As a girl who is partly Italian myself (along with a smattering of Irish, Croat mixed in with my Englishness) I understand that point of view. Please understand that the way in which Anthony and the family are view, particularly in the first chapters, are not based in truth but in a myth that has been propagated by many and believed by more. And nobody needs to tell me how strong Italian women are in reality! A lot of what is said, in the first chapters particularly, is what Buffy has been brought up to believe. That doesn't make it true, as you'll find out in later chapters. So thank you for giving it a chance. And Serie A is way more fun that the Premiership.
The Family Way
***
Buffy had always struggled to remember anything of her mother. It was an impossible task, for Daniella had died when Buffy was just a babe in arms. She wondered if her mother would have liked her. She recalled sitting on her father's knee in his office as he showed her pictures of a beautiful young woman and told her stories of her mother.
Not that she should be surprised that her mother was killed. Daniella Crocetti had, after all, been the beautiful young wife of the most powerful mob boss, not only on the West Coast, but in all of the United States.
Antonio Crocetti's father had been the most powerful boss in New York City- in control of every racket in Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn. Primo Crocetti had arrived in New York in the first years of the 20th Century from Palermo, Sicily. He had, at first tried to be legitimate- he had seen too many good men die at home from Mafia vendettas. But it had, for Primo, a proud man, been too difficult to pay protection money to the boss in Little Italy at the time.
He and some friends conspired to kill the boss, Nicolas Camonte and Primo had been named his successor. Of course, Primo was not powerful overnight. By the time his son Ricardo was learning the Family business, he was boss of the Bronx gambling and prostitution rackets.
It was down to the ruthless, unmerciful Ricardo to consolidate the Crocetti Family's power in the city and he did so with an iron fist. Some old women would claim that their streets were never safer than when 'Ricky' looked after them, but others knew different. Many young men were found dead in various creative ways through idiocy, a wrong move, a big mouth, or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ricky's reign lasted forty years.
By this time his sons Antonio and Roberto were young adults, the Family's interests had expanded to several of the largest casinos in Las Vegas and Reno, unions, prostitution, other forms of gambling, extortion and political power (Ricky was 'personal friends' with at least three senators, a Governor, judges in New York, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Reno and Boston).
He installed his eldest son Antonio in the Los Angeles office of their legitimate business- Cesca Olive Oil, named after Primo Crocetti's sister. But of course, Antonio- or Anthony, as he called himself in order to appear more legitimate- was in truth in charge of the West Coast operations of the Family. When Ricky died, Anthony became the most powerful man in America- regardless of what the President thought.
***
Such power warrants attention, of course. Anthony himself had never even been arrested, thanks to his father's advice and protection, but the FBI knew the family well. But as it always goes, they could never prove anything.
The FBI knew that Anthony owned six of the hotels and casinos on the Strip in Las Vegas, they knew that Anthony had interests in the narcotics business. Proving it was a different matter, and they had never managed to even piece together enough information to get a warrant to search his home.
***
Daniella's death in 1982 had made the front pages of many newspapers, who wisely called her "Society Hostess" rather than "Mob Wife". But what wasn't reported was that Danny and Buffy were with her when her murderer struck. Nobody had ever discovered who exactly killed Daniella, but Danny swore it was his father.
He would never quite forget the look on his mother's face as she slipped from this world to the next. In fact, for the last nineteen years, it had been the source of every nightmare he'd ever had. He was now twenty-four years old, but that moment, on his fifth birthday, had shaped his entire life.
***
There was only one small flaw in Danny's reasoning. Anthony had loved Daniella, he really had. From the moment he had first seen her at her father's house in Palermo, he had loved her.
Daniella Vitelli had been a beautiful young girl of seventeen when he met her, all big dark eyes in golden olive skin, framed with thick blonde hair, unusual in Sicily and Southern Italy. He had been teased about it too- they said he had been hit by "The Thunderbolt". He really had loved that girl.
He too recalled the moment he found her. She was lying, her legs twisted, the thick carpet covered in her blood. He recalled the complete horror when he saw Danny sitting there, Buffy in his arms, looking at his mother. Then, with a heavy heart, he recalled the look of betrayal and hate on his son's face as the five-year-old looked up at his father.
Anthony had never truly admitted it to anyone, not even himself, but he knew that Danny blamed him for Daniella's death.
***
Years- nineteen of them- had passed now, yet emotions were often still raw. Just six years ago, just after turning eighteen, Danny had tried to run away, taking the then thirteen year old Buffy with him. Anthony had of course caught up with him, thanks to his vast network of informants. He had restrained himself in order to keep Danny at home then, not wanting to lose his daughter.
Buffy reminded him so much of Daniella that Anthony wanted to keep her at home as long as he could. Now of course, she was practically an adult herself. Danny was all grown up now, but lived in the family house even now. Anthony knew that it was so Danny could watch over Buffy, and it warmed his heart that Danny cared so much for his sister. Then, of course, his heart froze when he realised who Danny thought he was protecting her from.
***
Anthony and Daniella's oldest son, Santino, was now 27. Tall and muscular, a charmer with the ladies, Sonny was in line to take over from his father some day. It was with a little horror and fear that Anthony realised that Sonny was so similar to his father Ricardo.
Sonny had been a sweet little boy, constantly bringing children from school home with him, explaining that they were from poor homes, and couldn't Daddy just give them something to eat? Anthony had always agreed. Since growing into the powerful young man he now was, Sonny had become angry, even violent on occasion.
But every now and then Anthony would be told that Santino had donated large chunks of money to shelters and hospitals and other such worthy causes- and not just in the name of tax evasion or money laundering. But these occasional good deeds didn't change the fact that Sonny was now a dangerous young man.
***
Everyone steered clear of Santino, especially when he was in a foul temper. Buffy had always been a little fearful of her eldest brother- she had seen him angry too many times. He always treated her like a princess, especially when she was a little girl. But now, she couldn't shake her feelings of fear and a little distrust.
She knew full well what her family's business was, although she never questioned it. However, she knew that, while her father was born into it and often despaired of it, she knew that Sonny relished the business. While she knew in her heart that her father had never (personally, at least) killed a man, she knew Sonny to be capable of it. She was lucky that the Crocetti house and compound were large and she was able to avoid Sonny whenever she needed to.
***
Being the only daughter of Anthony Crocetti had its benefits of course. Around the compound, she was the Queen. She knew that Italians had always treated mothers and daughters as sacred (although more than one was guilty of beating his wife) and so it was for Buffy Crocetti.
She wanted for absolutely nothing, except for perhaps a little more freedom. Since Danny had run away with her, she had always been watched very carefully, more so since a couple of kidnapping threats had arrived at the house with her name on them. She was chauffeured to school every day, even now that she was at UCLA. Her own personal bodyguard was William Liotta, but she had always called him Spike.
***
Spike Liotta was just 25 years old but had been in the employ of Anthony for ten years. When he was fourteen, Spike had embarked on a juvenile life of crime. When he was fifteen he was idiotic enough to swipe the hubcaps from Anthony's car. Anthony had caught him red-handed.
Instead of calling the police or being violent, Anthony had taught him how to swipe the caps without getting caught. Then, Anthony hired the boy. Since then, Spike was one of them, and was now almost a 'Made Man'. For the last six years he had been Buffy's almost constant bodyguard and had grown to love the girl like a sister.
***
Of course, Buffy often felt restricted by her father's lifestyle. She lived in a gilded cage and was rarely allowed to fly free. Only during the day when she was at class at UCLA did she have any time of her own. She had managed to persuade her father to get Spike to drop her off in the morning and then pick her up at the end of the day. She envied her friends' dorm lives free from their parents. Sometimes she and Danny were able to get away from it all, but never for more than a few hours. She adored her big brother Danny.
He had always been her protector, the one to scare away the monsters who used to plague her nightmares, the one to pick her up when she fell out of trees, the one to fight for her. He was her knight in shining armour and she loved him.
She adored her other brother Alessandro too. But Xander, as he was known, lived in New Orleans now as an artist and visited only every couple of months. In fact, Buffy imagined the man she fell in love with to be a version of Danny.
***
Not that she'd ever been in love. She'd had a boyfriend- once. Riley Finn had been a senior at high school when she was a sophomore. She invited him home for dinner one evening. It was a toss-up who scared Riley off first- Anthony, Sonny, Spike or Danny.
Each had glared at him, asked him questions too tough to answer and generally acted like the mafia men the first three were. Buffy was sure that there wasn't a man alive who could stand up against those three. Riley hadn't even spoken to her the next day at school.
She just hoped that the man she really fell in love with could handle her family. She didn't know just how well, or just how soon she'd meet him.
***
The Crocetti compound in the hills above Los Angeles was so large that, if one so desired, you need not see another soul for some time. Unfortunately, whenever Buffy wanted to be alone, usually someone wanted to see her. She had grown accustomed to Spike watching her from a usually discreet distance, but often her brothers or her father would send someone looking for her and she would have to come running.
The house itself was beautiful, designed like an old Roman palazzo, full of tall white columns and beautiful plants from exotic locales. It was well known to Buffy that her mother had designed the house, and it comforted her a little to know that her mother had such exquisite taste.
Buffy's own room overlooked the landscaped rose garden and had it's own walk in closet and en-suite bathroom. She had her own phone line, but knew it, like every other line in the house, was likely tapped by the FBI. It wasn't enough that she was kept in her gilded cage by her family, but she was tracked inside it by outside forces as well.
***
"Buffy? Can I come in?" Sonny's voice came floating, quite gently, into her room, where Buffy herself lay reading a book.
"Sure." She called back. Sonny came in. He smiled sweetly at her and she marvelled at how completely dangerous her brother could be.
It was hard to believe when she saw him at his sweetest. Most people had reason to be fearful when Sonny Crocetti was nice to them- it meant he wanted something. But Buffy knew that, like her other brothers and her father, that Sonny would die before hurting her. Or, he'd kill anyone that tried to hurt her. She remembered that scene, not long after returning with Danny after their aborted escape attempt. Sonny had thrown Danny up against a wall for simply putting Buffy into the real world and into danger.
"Are you OK, Buff?" He asked, sitting beside her on the bed. He was so much bigger than her, at six feet and three inches, that she was dwarfed by her brother.
"Yeah."
"Oh. We were just worried. You hardly come out of your room sometimes."
"I'm just tired, Sonny." She said, smiling. He looked so concerned for her.
"Oh. Do you want me to call the doctor? Maybe you have that Chronic Fatigue thing."
"No, I'm OK." She said. She looked at his slightly furrowed brow. "What's the matter, Sonny?"
"Nothing."
"Tell me." She said firmly. He sighed.
"The Romanos..." He trailed off. Buffy fixed him with a stare.
"Tell me. I'm part of this family too."
"Yeah. OK..." Sonny took a deep breath. "They're demanding political protection from some of our friends. We don't want to- we're not stupid. But last time we refused them anything..."
"That was when they tried to snatch me?" She asked.
Four years previously, when she was at a private school, the Romano crime family had attempted to abduct Buffy and use her as a bargaining tool. Only Spike's intervention had foiled them. Now, Buffy was gripped with fear as she remembered rough hands gripping her neck, pressing at her mouth to stop her from screaming.
"Yeah. Pops is worried that you're going to be a target again. So..."
"You came in here to ask that Spike stay with me all day when I'm at college?" Buffy said, a little annoyed. Sonny nodded.
"Yeah." On her look, he continued. "We're worried about you, Bella." He said, referring to her nickname within the family. In Italian, bella means beautiful, and it had become the blonde girl's nickname at an early age.
"I know. But I'm perfectly safe there."
"Yeah? You were perfectly safe at St. Monica's. But Luca Brasi still managed to get in there. The university is spread out and anyone can go in." Sonny said, an edge in his voice that didn't bode well.
"OK..." Buffy thought for a moment. "How about this? When you're certain that they're going to retaliate and you're certain that they'll strike at me, then I'll take Spike along. Until then, he'll drop me off in the morning and pick me up in the afternoon." She suggested. "I know how to look after myself now. You made sure of that, Sonny."
"I did." He laughed at the memory of teaching the fifteen year old Buffy to fight.
"Besides," She said with a smirk, pulling a knife with an ornate handle from her bag.
"I have this."
"Fine. I'll talk to Dad." Sonny could never resist his little sister when she grinned so endearingly at her. And of course, he could still feel the force of her fist against his jaw from one of their lessons.
"Thank you Sonny." She said sweetly. He grinned at her and hugged her tightly.
"We don't want anything to happen to our Bella." He told her.
"I know." Buffy said softly. Sonny stood up to his full height.
"Come down for dinner. You have to eat."
"Yes, dad." She said. Sonny laughed, then went out of the room. Buffy sighed.
There were always some kind of threat to her family, that was their business. But why did everyone have to bring her into it? She was a member of the Crocetti family, but she wasn't involved with The Family, and everyone knew that. She remembered how, after the abduction attempt, her father had demanded a meeting with the Romanos.
She remembered Sonny coming back and telling her how Anthony had been wild with rage at them, and how he had told them that, if they ever harmed his daughter again, they'd pay. Everyone knew Buffy was a civilian- it was what allowed her to be as free as she was. So Sonny's new news disturbed her, not for her own sake, but for the sake of her family. If there was another attempt, there would be an all-out war between the families. They would go to the mattresses and Buffy would be forced into hiding. It wasn't the first time, either.
It was times like these that Buffy wished her family was just normal. She didn't need all the riches that the family had, or the houses all over the globe, or the boats or the clothes or jewellery or anything the family had. She just wanted for her family to be normal, to not have to worry about her father or brothers being killed. To not have a bodyguard. As soon as she had that thought, there was a knock on the door.
"Yes?"
"Buff? Time for dinner." It was Spike outside.
"I'm coming." She said, throwing her book down and getting up from her bed. She smoothed down her clothes and opened the door. Bleached blonde Spike was standing there, waiting for her.
"You have to guard me on the way to dinner, now?" She joked lightly.
"No, silly girl. I just got the short straw of coming all this way to get you." He joked back.
"You could just use the phone." Buffy pointed out as they walked down the stairs.
"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" They walked into the grand dining room of the Crocetti house.
***
At least eight people were sat around the table, all waiting for her. At the head of the table, of course, was Anthony. At the opposite end sat Sonny. Next to Sonny was his wife of six years, Genovetta. On his other side sat Anthony's sister and Buffy's aunt Constanza. Next to her sat Spike, who had been so close to the family for so long that he qualified for close family status. Buffy's uncle Roberto sat opposite Spike, while Danny and Buffy had the places closest to Anthony.
"Uncle Giles, I didn't know you were in town." She said, settling down next to him.
"Yes. Just for tonight, then its back to Nevada." Roberto watched over the family's Las Vegas holdings. He had spent a lot of his younger life in England, and had gained the nickname Giles within the family after returning with many English peculiarities evident.
"Oh." Buffy paused long enough for her father to proclaim dinner ready to eat, and then the usual Italian free for all began. Hands went everywhere, grabbing breadsticks, slices of meat and other anti-pasta dishes. None of the people at the table paused talking to eat, preferring instead to do both at the same time.
"Pops, have you decided what to tell the Romanos, yet?" Sonny asked. Anthony fixed him with a steely glare. Silence descended upon the table immediately.
"You know better than to talk about business at the table, Santino."
"Sorry, but I know Buffy..."
"Not at the table." Anthony repeated. Sonny looked down at the table. Even now, his father's glare could make him feel three years old.
"Daddy..." Buffy began. "Don't get mad." Her soothing tone calmed her father a little.
"He knows what I think about..."
"It's OK. Let's just eat, OK?" She smiled so sweetly at her father that he caved in to her plea. He nodded and dinner resumed.
***
"Buffy, can I come in?" Her father's voice called. She sighed. Was she ever going to get through this book?
"Yes." She called through slightly gritted teeth.
"Is everything OK?" He asked, a little hurt by the tone of her voice.
"Yes. I was just reading, that's all."
"Sorry, sweetheart."
"It's OK."
"I spoke to Sonny. And, I don't like it... But you can carry on as you have been. I don't think the Romanos will bother you again. They know you're a civilian." He told her.
"Thank you, daddy." She said with a smile. She planted a kiss on his cheek. "You're the best daddy ever!"
"You have to say that." He said, but he smiled back at her.
***
Monday came, and so that morning, Spike dropped Buffy outside the building where she had her first class.
"See you at four, Spike."
"On the dot, Buff." He said from the driver's seat of the Mercedes. Then, he sped away.
Buffy slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way across the lawn to the Humanities building where her History class was. She went inside, glad to be out of the already fierce sun. She made her way down the hall, when suddenly something caught her eye. Was that man over there watching her? She turned suddenly to look, but saw nothing. Then down the hall, was he watching her?
Her heart began to pound and she felt a cold sweat break out. The room began to sway. She was confused with herself. Was she having a panic attack? What was happening to her? She saw the female restroom and bolted into it just as a wave of nausea hit.
***
"Are you OK?" A calm, soothing voice called to Buffy.
She was hunched over the toilet bowl, having emptied her entire breakfast, and quite possibly parts of last night's dinner into it. She heard footsteps- female- come closer. Then, the cubicle door swung open.
"Are you OK? Do you need some help?" A girl asked. Buffy looked up, pale and shaking.
"Uh..."
"There's no tissue in here. Hang on." The girl disappeared into the next cubicle, and reappeared moments later with a bundle of toilet tissue. She handed it to Buffy.
"Here." She smiled reassuringly at Buffy, who wiped her mouth. The girl then reached into her bag and handed her a bottle of water. Buffy paused for a moment.
"It's OK, I'll get another one." She crouched down so she was at the same level as Buffy.
"I'm Faith. Are you in my History class?" Buffy nodded. She'd seen the pretty dark haired girl in class before.
"I'm... I'm Buffy." She stammered slightly.
"Was it something you ate?"
"I don't know. I was... Panic attack." Buffy admitted. She hadn't had one for quite some time, but here she was, on the floor of a bathroom once again.
"Oh. Do you need anything? Or do you want to call someone?"
"No. No." Buffy hauled herself up onto her feet. "I'll be fine now." She drank thirstily from the bottle.
"Are you up to History? Because if not, I can always make notes for you." Faith offered.
"No, I'll be OK." She paused. "But I'd like it if we could sit together."
"Great!" Faith said cheerily. Buffy swayed slightly, still a little unsteady, still shaking. Faith took her arm gently.
"I'll help you to class." She said with a smile. Buffy smiled back, knowing she'd just made a friend.
***
Buffy and Faith went on to have lunch together. Buffy learned that Faith had a brother, a sister and an adopted brother. They lived together in a house in Hollywood, a legacy from their parents. She discovered that Faith's elder sister Drusilla was actually in a couple of her English classes, and she recalled another dark girl in the classes who certainly bore a resemblance to Faith.
Then, four o'clock came along and Buffy made her way out to where Spike was leaning against his car smoking a cigarette.
"Those are bad for you." She said, grabbing it out of his mouth and stomping on it.
Spike merely glared at her, knowing it was useless arguing with her. He opened the door for her, then got into the car himself before speeding off towards the Crocetti compound.
***
When they arrived back, the gates were surrounded by men she recognised as some of her father's men.
"What's going on, Spike?" She asked. He shrugged as if to say 'I don't know'. He rolled the window down.
"Joe, what's going on?" He demanded of one of the men at the gates. Joe pointed with his gun.
"The boss said that Buffy has to go straight to his office." He said. The gates were opened for Spike's car, and shut immediately afterwards. Spike pulled up outside the main house and opened the door for his passenger. Buffy looked around curiously.
"What's happening?" She asked.
"I don't know, Buff. Doesn't seem too good." He told her. She looked around and saw a group of men some distance away, crowded around something. Danny was one of the men, she was sure. She broke away from Spike, running towards them.
"Buffy! You have to go to..." Spike trailed off- she was already too far away. She sprinted over to Danny. As he caught sight of his sister coming towards him, he looked horrified.
"No! Buffy! Don't-" He was cut off by her arrival. She looked at the centre of everyone's attention.
"Oh my God!" She said, before the sight knocked the breath from her body.
***
Santino, her violent, dangerous elder brother was on the ground. Her sweet, considerate, loyal brother was on the ground, entirely still. His suit was soaked with blood from the holes that covered his body. Someone had riddled her brother with bullets.
"Sonny," She said, choking back a sob at the sight of her slain brother.
He was truly a grotesque sight to behold. Whoever had done this had done a thorough job, not taking any chances on Santino's survival. A boot mark on his face also hinted that his assassin had kicked him in the head for extra measure. Danny grabbed his sister and tried to drag her away.
"Sonny!" She screamed, trying to pull away from Danny.
"Buffy, come on. Buffy!" He said, himself trying to remain calm. Anthony appeared from the house.
"Buffy! Come inside. Now!" He shouted to her. Her father's voice shocked her out of her hysteria.
"Now!" He repeated. Buffy fell limply into Danny's arms and allowed him to lead her away from Sonny and towards the house.
"I told you to bring her straight to me." Anthony said to Spike.
"I didn't know what was going on." Spike defended himself, but Anthony was no longer listening. A hearse pulled into the compound as Danny and Buffy went inside.
***
The funeral was held two days later. There was some police investigation, but largely they allowed Mafiosi to kill each other, probably in the hope that they would self-destruct. Buffy was numb by now and at the funeral leaned heavily against Danny and Alessandro while Genovetta sobbed loudly.
Anthony was distant at this time, clearly more shaken by the death of his son and heir apparent than he let on. Then, once the family had arrived back at the house, Buffy went straight to her room. She had barely had time to remove her coat when Danny burst in.
"I have to talk to you." He said. She sighed. What was it now, she wondered?
"What?"
"I think we should go to the police." He whispered.
"What?" She looked at him as if he'd gone crazy.
"I'm serious. If they got Sonny, then we're in more danger than we realise. It was the same person who killed Mom." He said.
"How do you know?"
"The bullets came from the same gun."
"Are you insane? Sonny was... They used a machine gun..."
"No. Look, I don't want to get graphic, but I heard them talking. They found that the bullet that killed him was from the same gun. They matched."
"That was nineteen years ago." Buffy pointed out.
"I know. But... I really think you're in danger."
"Sonny thought so too." Buffy sobbed.
"Come on. I wouldn't even think of going to the police unless I was certain."
"You think it's Daddy."
"No... I... I don't know. I hope not."
"Why would he kill his own son?" Buffy asked him despondently.
"Why would he kill his own wife?" Danny shot back. Buffy collapsed onto the bed.
"This is our only chance, when everyone's too busy drinking. Please Buffy..." Danny pleaded. She thought for a moment. If the police got involved, they could prove that it wasn't her father, right? And if she was in danger, wasn't her father even more so? She stood up.
"OK."
***
Angel Martin got the call as he was about to go home. It had been a long day for the FBI agent, but when he was told that two of the Crocetti children had turned up at the LAPD headquarters, he couldn't even consider going home. He rushed down there and was able to officially make it a federal case. Now, some hours later, a solution had presented itself.
"OK..." He began solemnly. Danielo and Nadezhda Crocetti were sitting in an interview room with him, waiting for him to bring a miracle to them.
"Nadezhda..." He began, hoping he'd pronounced it properly.
"Call me Buffy."
"Buffy?" He was confused now.
"It's my name. Long story."
"Buffy." He said, noting it in his book. "We think it would be best to have someone undercover with you. Not only to investigate from within the family, but also to guard you without ringing any alarm bells.
"And you propose to do this how?" Danny scoffed. Angel smiled tightly at the young man.
"We propose to have one of our agents pose as... Buffy's boyfriend." He turned directly to Buffy.
"Is this OK with you? If it isn't, we'll come up with something else."
"Who?"
"Excuse me?"
"Who would it be?"
"Me, I'm afraid." Angel smiled in spite of himself. Buffy looked at him closer now.
"You?" He nodded, looking embarrassed. He was awfully handsome- she had noticed from the moment she first saw him. And he seemed nice enough. More importantly, he wasn't a hoodlum.
"OK." She said quickly. She hadn't meant to be quite so obvious. Angel gave her a tiny little half-smile which made her smile wider.
"Good. We'll make arrangements now. I'll need to know a little about you so we can build up an accurate sounding story." Angel said.
"Well, I might suggest that the 'my new boyfriend is a Fed' story might go down like a lead balloon in my house." Buffy joked.
Angel chuckled softly. Danny glared at her, not really pleased with the plan. That was it? This agent was going to be her boyfriend? Did he really think it would work?
"Excuse me, Agent Martin." Danny started.
"Yes?"
"Do you think my father is an idiot? Do you honestly think he won't suspect anything?"
"No." Buffy started. "He won't. Not if we do it right. You were the one who suggested we come to the police, Danny." She reminded him. He nodded a little sullenly, and the deal was made.
***
They stayed up for most of the night making arrangements. Angel was given all kinds of new identification- he was now Angel Martino, student of History at UCLA. He was from Steubenville, Ohio and had been dating Buffy for almost a month now. His family originated from near Naples, a detail Buffy had thrown in, knowing that her father was particularly fond of Naples.
He would be coming for dinner tomorrow evening to meet her family and they would go from there. Buffy and Danny returned to the compound. The wake for Sonny was still going strong into the night, and nobody had even noticed their absence.
***
DISTRIBUTION: If you want, you may have. Just let me know, OK?
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Hey! This is based on Victoria's challenge called the Family that was posted at BA_Fluff. It's mafia story and is entirely AU. EXTRA DISCLAIMER: The way in which Italians are portrayed in this story is not, and is not intended to be in any way a portrayal of all Italians. This is a story about a very small fraction of fictional Italian-Americans based partly in truth. I appreciate the concerns that people have raised about the way in which I've portrayed Italians in the story. As a girl who is partly Italian myself (along with a smattering of Irish, Croat mixed in with my Englishness) I understand that point of view. Please understand that the way in which Anthony and the family are view, particularly in the first chapters, are not based in truth but in a myth that has been propagated by many and believed by more. And nobody needs to tell me how strong Italian women are in reality! A lot of what is said, in the first chapters particularly, is what Buffy has been brought up to believe. That doesn't make it true, as you'll find out in later chapters. So thank you for giving it a chance. And Serie A is way more fun that the Premiership.
The Family Way
***
Buffy had always struggled to remember anything of her mother. It was an impossible task, for Daniella had died when Buffy was just a babe in arms. She wondered if her mother would have liked her. She recalled sitting on her father's knee in his office as he showed her pictures of a beautiful young woman and told her stories of her mother.
Not that she should be surprised that her mother was killed. Daniella Crocetti had, after all, been the beautiful young wife of the most powerful mob boss, not only on the West Coast, but in all of the United States.
Antonio Crocetti's father had been the most powerful boss in New York City- in control of every racket in Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn. Primo Crocetti had arrived in New York in the first years of the 20th Century from Palermo, Sicily. He had, at first tried to be legitimate- he had seen too many good men die at home from Mafia vendettas. But it had, for Primo, a proud man, been too difficult to pay protection money to the boss in Little Italy at the time.
He and some friends conspired to kill the boss, Nicolas Camonte and Primo had been named his successor. Of course, Primo was not powerful overnight. By the time his son Ricardo was learning the Family business, he was boss of the Bronx gambling and prostitution rackets.
It was down to the ruthless, unmerciful Ricardo to consolidate the Crocetti Family's power in the city and he did so with an iron fist. Some old women would claim that their streets were never safer than when 'Ricky' looked after them, but others knew different. Many young men were found dead in various creative ways through idiocy, a wrong move, a big mouth, or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ricky's reign lasted forty years.
By this time his sons Antonio and Roberto were young adults, the Family's interests had expanded to several of the largest casinos in Las Vegas and Reno, unions, prostitution, other forms of gambling, extortion and political power (Ricky was 'personal friends' with at least three senators, a Governor, judges in New York, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Reno and Boston).
He installed his eldest son Antonio in the Los Angeles office of their legitimate business- Cesca Olive Oil, named after Primo Crocetti's sister. But of course, Antonio- or Anthony, as he called himself in order to appear more legitimate- was in truth in charge of the West Coast operations of the Family. When Ricky died, Anthony became the most powerful man in America- regardless of what the President thought.
***
Such power warrants attention, of course. Anthony himself had never even been arrested, thanks to his father's advice and protection, but the FBI knew the family well. But as it always goes, they could never prove anything.
The FBI knew that Anthony owned six of the hotels and casinos on the Strip in Las Vegas, they knew that Anthony had interests in the narcotics business. Proving it was a different matter, and they had never managed to even piece together enough information to get a warrant to search his home.
***
Daniella's death in 1982 had made the front pages of many newspapers, who wisely called her "Society Hostess" rather than "Mob Wife". But what wasn't reported was that Danny and Buffy were with her when her murderer struck. Nobody had ever discovered who exactly killed Daniella, but Danny swore it was his father.
He would never quite forget the look on his mother's face as she slipped from this world to the next. In fact, for the last nineteen years, it had been the source of every nightmare he'd ever had. He was now twenty-four years old, but that moment, on his fifth birthday, had shaped his entire life.
***
There was only one small flaw in Danny's reasoning. Anthony had loved Daniella, he really had. From the moment he had first seen her at her father's house in Palermo, he had loved her.
Daniella Vitelli had been a beautiful young girl of seventeen when he met her, all big dark eyes in golden olive skin, framed with thick blonde hair, unusual in Sicily and Southern Italy. He had been teased about it too- they said he had been hit by "The Thunderbolt". He really had loved that girl.
He too recalled the moment he found her. She was lying, her legs twisted, the thick carpet covered in her blood. He recalled the complete horror when he saw Danny sitting there, Buffy in his arms, looking at his mother. Then, with a heavy heart, he recalled the look of betrayal and hate on his son's face as the five-year-old looked up at his father.
Anthony had never truly admitted it to anyone, not even himself, but he knew that Danny blamed him for Daniella's death.
***
Years- nineteen of them- had passed now, yet emotions were often still raw. Just six years ago, just after turning eighteen, Danny had tried to run away, taking the then thirteen year old Buffy with him. Anthony had of course caught up with him, thanks to his vast network of informants. He had restrained himself in order to keep Danny at home then, not wanting to lose his daughter.
Buffy reminded him so much of Daniella that Anthony wanted to keep her at home as long as he could. Now of course, she was practically an adult herself. Danny was all grown up now, but lived in the family house even now. Anthony knew that it was so Danny could watch over Buffy, and it warmed his heart that Danny cared so much for his sister. Then, of course, his heart froze when he realised who Danny thought he was protecting her from.
***
Anthony and Daniella's oldest son, Santino, was now 27. Tall and muscular, a charmer with the ladies, Sonny was in line to take over from his father some day. It was with a little horror and fear that Anthony realised that Sonny was so similar to his father Ricardo.
Sonny had been a sweet little boy, constantly bringing children from school home with him, explaining that they were from poor homes, and couldn't Daddy just give them something to eat? Anthony had always agreed. Since growing into the powerful young man he now was, Sonny had become angry, even violent on occasion.
But every now and then Anthony would be told that Santino had donated large chunks of money to shelters and hospitals and other such worthy causes- and not just in the name of tax evasion or money laundering. But these occasional good deeds didn't change the fact that Sonny was now a dangerous young man.
***
Everyone steered clear of Santino, especially when he was in a foul temper. Buffy had always been a little fearful of her eldest brother- she had seen him angry too many times. He always treated her like a princess, especially when she was a little girl. But now, she couldn't shake her feelings of fear and a little distrust.
She knew full well what her family's business was, although she never questioned it. However, she knew that, while her father was born into it and often despaired of it, she knew that Sonny relished the business. While she knew in her heart that her father had never (personally, at least) killed a man, she knew Sonny to be capable of it. She was lucky that the Crocetti house and compound were large and she was able to avoid Sonny whenever she needed to.
***
Being the only daughter of Anthony Crocetti had its benefits of course. Around the compound, she was the Queen. She knew that Italians had always treated mothers and daughters as sacred (although more than one was guilty of beating his wife) and so it was for Buffy Crocetti.
She wanted for absolutely nothing, except for perhaps a little more freedom. Since Danny had run away with her, she had always been watched very carefully, more so since a couple of kidnapping threats had arrived at the house with her name on them. She was chauffeured to school every day, even now that she was at UCLA. Her own personal bodyguard was William Liotta, but she had always called him Spike.
***
Spike Liotta was just 25 years old but had been in the employ of Anthony for ten years. When he was fourteen, Spike had embarked on a juvenile life of crime. When he was fifteen he was idiotic enough to swipe the hubcaps from Anthony's car. Anthony had caught him red-handed.
Instead of calling the police or being violent, Anthony had taught him how to swipe the caps without getting caught. Then, Anthony hired the boy. Since then, Spike was one of them, and was now almost a 'Made Man'. For the last six years he had been Buffy's almost constant bodyguard and had grown to love the girl like a sister.
***
Of course, Buffy often felt restricted by her father's lifestyle. She lived in a gilded cage and was rarely allowed to fly free. Only during the day when she was at class at UCLA did she have any time of her own. She had managed to persuade her father to get Spike to drop her off in the morning and then pick her up at the end of the day. She envied her friends' dorm lives free from their parents. Sometimes she and Danny were able to get away from it all, but never for more than a few hours. She adored her big brother Danny.
He had always been her protector, the one to scare away the monsters who used to plague her nightmares, the one to pick her up when she fell out of trees, the one to fight for her. He was her knight in shining armour and she loved him.
She adored her other brother Alessandro too. But Xander, as he was known, lived in New Orleans now as an artist and visited only every couple of months. In fact, Buffy imagined the man she fell in love with to be a version of Danny.
***
Not that she'd ever been in love. She'd had a boyfriend- once. Riley Finn had been a senior at high school when she was a sophomore. She invited him home for dinner one evening. It was a toss-up who scared Riley off first- Anthony, Sonny, Spike or Danny.
Each had glared at him, asked him questions too tough to answer and generally acted like the mafia men the first three were. Buffy was sure that there wasn't a man alive who could stand up against those three. Riley hadn't even spoken to her the next day at school.
She just hoped that the man she really fell in love with could handle her family. She didn't know just how well, or just how soon she'd meet him.
***
The Crocetti compound in the hills above Los Angeles was so large that, if one so desired, you need not see another soul for some time. Unfortunately, whenever Buffy wanted to be alone, usually someone wanted to see her. She had grown accustomed to Spike watching her from a usually discreet distance, but often her brothers or her father would send someone looking for her and she would have to come running.
The house itself was beautiful, designed like an old Roman palazzo, full of tall white columns and beautiful plants from exotic locales. It was well known to Buffy that her mother had designed the house, and it comforted her a little to know that her mother had such exquisite taste.
Buffy's own room overlooked the landscaped rose garden and had it's own walk in closet and en-suite bathroom. She had her own phone line, but knew it, like every other line in the house, was likely tapped by the FBI. It wasn't enough that she was kept in her gilded cage by her family, but she was tracked inside it by outside forces as well.
***
"Buffy? Can I come in?" Sonny's voice came floating, quite gently, into her room, where Buffy herself lay reading a book.
"Sure." She called back. Sonny came in. He smiled sweetly at her and she marvelled at how completely dangerous her brother could be.
It was hard to believe when she saw him at his sweetest. Most people had reason to be fearful when Sonny Crocetti was nice to them- it meant he wanted something. But Buffy knew that, like her other brothers and her father, that Sonny would die before hurting her. Or, he'd kill anyone that tried to hurt her. She remembered that scene, not long after returning with Danny after their aborted escape attempt. Sonny had thrown Danny up against a wall for simply putting Buffy into the real world and into danger.
"Are you OK, Buff?" He asked, sitting beside her on the bed. He was so much bigger than her, at six feet and three inches, that she was dwarfed by her brother.
"Yeah."
"Oh. We were just worried. You hardly come out of your room sometimes."
"I'm just tired, Sonny." She said, smiling. He looked so concerned for her.
"Oh. Do you want me to call the doctor? Maybe you have that Chronic Fatigue thing."
"No, I'm OK." She said. She looked at his slightly furrowed brow. "What's the matter, Sonny?"
"Nothing."
"Tell me." She said firmly. He sighed.
"The Romanos..." He trailed off. Buffy fixed him with a stare.
"Tell me. I'm part of this family too."
"Yeah. OK..." Sonny took a deep breath. "They're demanding political protection from some of our friends. We don't want to- we're not stupid. But last time we refused them anything..."
"That was when they tried to snatch me?" She asked.
Four years previously, when she was at a private school, the Romano crime family had attempted to abduct Buffy and use her as a bargaining tool. Only Spike's intervention had foiled them. Now, Buffy was gripped with fear as she remembered rough hands gripping her neck, pressing at her mouth to stop her from screaming.
"Yeah. Pops is worried that you're going to be a target again. So..."
"You came in here to ask that Spike stay with me all day when I'm at college?" Buffy said, a little annoyed. Sonny nodded.
"Yeah." On her look, he continued. "We're worried about you, Bella." He said, referring to her nickname within the family. In Italian, bella means beautiful, and it had become the blonde girl's nickname at an early age.
"I know. But I'm perfectly safe there."
"Yeah? You were perfectly safe at St. Monica's. But Luca Brasi still managed to get in there. The university is spread out and anyone can go in." Sonny said, an edge in his voice that didn't bode well.
"OK..." Buffy thought for a moment. "How about this? When you're certain that they're going to retaliate and you're certain that they'll strike at me, then I'll take Spike along. Until then, he'll drop me off in the morning and pick me up in the afternoon." She suggested. "I know how to look after myself now. You made sure of that, Sonny."
"I did." He laughed at the memory of teaching the fifteen year old Buffy to fight.
"Besides," She said with a smirk, pulling a knife with an ornate handle from her bag.
"I have this."
"Fine. I'll talk to Dad." Sonny could never resist his little sister when she grinned so endearingly at her. And of course, he could still feel the force of her fist against his jaw from one of their lessons.
"Thank you Sonny." She said sweetly. He grinned at her and hugged her tightly.
"We don't want anything to happen to our Bella." He told her.
"I know." Buffy said softly. Sonny stood up to his full height.
"Come down for dinner. You have to eat."
"Yes, dad." She said. Sonny laughed, then went out of the room. Buffy sighed.
There were always some kind of threat to her family, that was their business. But why did everyone have to bring her into it? She was a member of the Crocetti family, but she wasn't involved with The Family, and everyone knew that. She remembered how, after the abduction attempt, her father had demanded a meeting with the Romanos.
She remembered Sonny coming back and telling her how Anthony had been wild with rage at them, and how he had told them that, if they ever harmed his daughter again, they'd pay. Everyone knew Buffy was a civilian- it was what allowed her to be as free as she was. So Sonny's new news disturbed her, not for her own sake, but for the sake of her family. If there was another attempt, there would be an all-out war between the families. They would go to the mattresses and Buffy would be forced into hiding. It wasn't the first time, either.
It was times like these that Buffy wished her family was just normal. She didn't need all the riches that the family had, or the houses all over the globe, or the boats or the clothes or jewellery or anything the family had. She just wanted for her family to be normal, to not have to worry about her father or brothers being killed. To not have a bodyguard. As soon as she had that thought, there was a knock on the door.
"Yes?"
"Buff? Time for dinner." It was Spike outside.
"I'm coming." She said, throwing her book down and getting up from her bed. She smoothed down her clothes and opened the door. Bleached blonde Spike was standing there, waiting for her.
"You have to guard me on the way to dinner, now?" She joked lightly.
"No, silly girl. I just got the short straw of coming all this way to get you." He joked back.
"You could just use the phone." Buffy pointed out as they walked down the stairs.
"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" They walked into the grand dining room of the Crocetti house.
***
At least eight people were sat around the table, all waiting for her. At the head of the table, of course, was Anthony. At the opposite end sat Sonny. Next to Sonny was his wife of six years, Genovetta. On his other side sat Anthony's sister and Buffy's aunt Constanza. Next to her sat Spike, who had been so close to the family for so long that he qualified for close family status. Buffy's uncle Roberto sat opposite Spike, while Danny and Buffy had the places closest to Anthony.
"Uncle Giles, I didn't know you were in town." She said, settling down next to him.
"Yes. Just for tonight, then its back to Nevada." Roberto watched over the family's Las Vegas holdings. He had spent a lot of his younger life in England, and had gained the nickname Giles within the family after returning with many English peculiarities evident.
"Oh." Buffy paused long enough for her father to proclaim dinner ready to eat, and then the usual Italian free for all began. Hands went everywhere, grabbing breadsticks, slices of meat and other anti-pasta dishes. None of the people at the table paused talking to eat, preferring instead to do both at the same time.
"Pops, have you decided what to tell the Romanos, yet?" Sonny asked. Anthony fixed him with a steely glare. Silence descended upon the table immediately.
"You know better than to talk about business at the table, Santino."
"Sorry, but I know Buffy..."
"Not at the table." Anthony repeated. Sonny looked down at the table. Even now, his father's glare could make him feel three years old.
"Daddy..." Buffy began. "Don't get mad." Her soothing tone calmed her father a little.
"He knows what I think about..."
"It's OK. Let's just eat, OK?" She smiled so sweetly at her father that he caved in to her plea. He nodded and dinner resumed.
***
"Buffy, can I come in?" Her father's voice called. She sighed. Was she ever going to get through this book?
"Yes." She called through slightly gritted teeth.
"Is everything OK?" He asked, a little hurt by the tone of her voice.
"Yes. I was just reading, that's all."
"Sorry, sweetheart."
"It's OK."
"I spoke to Sonny. And, I don't like it... But you can carry on as you have been. I don't think the Romanos will bother you again. They know you're a civilian." He told her.
"Thank you, daddy." She said with a smile. She planted a kiss on his cheek. "You're the best daddy ever!"
"You have to say that." He said, but he smiled back at her.
***
Monday came, and so that morning, Spike dropped Buffy outside the building where she had her first class.
"See you at four, Spike."
"On the dot, Buff." He said from the driver's seat of the Mercedes. Then, he sped away.
Buffy slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way across the lawn to the Humanities building where her History class was. She went inside, glad to be out of the already fierce sun. She made her way down the hall, when suddenly something caught her eye. Was that man over there watching her? She turned suddenly to look, but saw nothing. Then down the hall, was he watching her?
Her heart began to pound and she felt a cold sweat break out. The room began to sway. She was confused with herself. Was she having a panic attack? What was happening to her? She saw the female restroom and bolted into it just as a wave of nausea hit.
***
"Are you OK?" A calm, soothing voice called to Buffy.
She was hunched over the toilet bowl, having emptied her entire breakfast, and quite possibly parts of last night's dinner into it. She heard footsteps- female- come closer. Then, the cubicle door swung open.
"Are you OK? Do you need some help?" A girl asked. Buffy looked up, pale and shaking.
"Uh..."
"There's no tissue in here. Hang on." The girl disappeared into the next cubicle, and reappeared moments later with a bundle of toilet tissue. She handed it to Buffy.
"Here." She smiled reassuringly at Buffy, who wiped her mouth. The girl then reached into her bag and handed her a bottle of water. Buffy paused for a moment.
"It's OK, I'll get another one." She crouched down so she was at the same level as Buffy.
"I'm Faith. Are you in my History class?" Buffy nodded. She'd seen the pretty dark haired girl in class before.
"I'm... I'm Buffy." She stammered slightly.
"Was it something you ate?"
"I don't know. I was... Panic attack." Buffy admitted. She hadn't had one for quite some time, but here she was, on the floor of a bathroom once again.
"Oh. Do you need anything? Or do you want to call someone?"
"No. No." Buffy hauled herself up onto her feet. "I'll be fine now." She drank thirstily from the bottle.
"Are you up to History? Because if not, I can always make notes for you." Faith offered.
"No, I'll be OK." She paused. "But I'd like it if we could sit together."
"Great!" Faith said cheerily. Buffy swayed slightly, still a little unsteady, still shaking. Faith took her arm gently.
"I'll help you to class." She said with a smile. Buffy smiled back, knowing she'd just made a friend.
***
Buffy and Faith went on to have lunch together. Buffy learned that Faith had a brother, a sister and an adopted brother. They lived together in a house in Hollywood, a legacy from their parents. She discovered that Faith's elder sister Drusilla was actually in a couple of her English classes, and she recalled another dark girl in the classes who certainly bore a resemblance to Faith.
Then, four o'clock came along and Buffy made her way out to where Spike was leaning against his car smoking a cigarette.
"Those are bad for you." She said, grabbing it out of his mouth and stomping on it.
Spike merely glared at her, knowing it was useless arguing with her. He opened the door for her, then got into the car himself before speeding off towards the Crocetti compound.
***
When they arrived back, the gates were surrounded by men she recognised as some of her father's men.
"What's going on, Spike?" She asked. He shrugged as if to say 'I don't know'. He rolled the window down.
"Joe, what's going on?" He demanded of one of the men at the gates. Joe pointed with his gun.
"The boss said that Buffy has to go straight to his office." He said. The gates were opened for Spike's car, and shut immediately afterwards. Spike pulled up outside the main house and opened the door for his passenger. Buffy looked around curiously.
"What's happening?" She asked.
"I don't know, Buff. Doesn't seem too good." He told her. She looked around and saw a group of men some distance away, crowded around something. Danny was one of the men, she was sure. She broke away from Spike, running towards them.
"Buffy! You have to go to..." Spike trailed off- she was already too far away. She sprinted over to Danny. As he caught sight of his sister coming towards him, he looked horrified.
"No! Buffy! Don't-" He was cut off by her arrival. She looked at the centre of everyone's attention.
"Oh my God!" She said, before the sight knocked the breath from her body.
***
Santino, her violent, dangerous elder brother was on the ground. Her sweet, considerate, loyal brother was on the ground, entirely still. His suit was soaked with blood from the holes that covered his body. Someone had riddled her brother with bullets.
"Sonny," She said, choking back a sob at the sight of her slain brother.
He was truly a grotesque sight to behold. Whoever had done this had done a thorough job, not taking any chances on Santino's survival. A boot mark on his face also hinted that his assassin had kicked him in the head for extra measure. Danny grabbed his sister and tried to drag her away.
"Sonny!" She screamed, trying to pull away from Danny.
"Buffy, come on. Buffy!" He said, himself trying to remain calm. Anthony appeared from the house.
"Buffy! Come inside. Now!" He shouted to her. Her father's voice shocked her out of her hysteria.
"Now!" He repeated. Buffy fell limply into Danny's arms and allowed him to lead her away from Sonny and towards the house.
"I told you to bring her straight to me." Anthony said to Spike.
"I didn't know what was going on." Spike defended himself, but Anthony was no longer listening. A hearse pulled into the compound as Danny and Buffy went inside.
***
The funeral was held two days later. There was some police investigation, but largely they allowed Mafiosi to kill each other, probably in the hope that they would self-destruct. Buffy was numb by now and at the funeral leaned heavily against Danny and Alessandro while Genovetta sobbed loudly.
Anthony was distant at this time, clearly more shaken by the death of his son and heir apparent than he let on. Then, once the family had arrived back at the house, Buffy went straight to her room. She had barely had time to remove her coat when Danny burst in.
"I have to talk to you." He said. She sighed. What was it now, she wondered?
"What?"
"I think we should go to the police." He whispered.
"What?" She looked at him as if he'd gone crazy.
"I'm serious. If they got Sonny, then we're in more danger than we realise. It was the same person who killed Mom." He said.
"How do you know?"
"The bullets came from the same gun."
"Are you insane? Sonny was... They used a machine gun..."
"No. Look, I don't want to get graphic, but I heard them talking. They found that the bullet that killed him was from the same gun. They matched."
"That was nineteen years ago." Buffy pointed out.
"I know. But... I really think you're in danger."
"Sonny thought so too." Buffy sobbed.
"Come on. I wouldn't even think of going to the police unless I was certain."
"You think it's Daddy."
"No... I... I don't know. I hope not."
"Why would he kill his own son?" Buffy asked him despondently.
"Why would he kill his own wife?" Danny shot back. Buffy collapsed onto the bed.
"This is our only chance, when everyone's too busy drinking. Please Buffy..." Danny pleaded. She thought for a moment. If the police got involved, they could prove that it wasn't her father, right? And if she was in danger, wasn't her father even more so? She stood up.
"OK."
***
Angel Martin got the call as he was about to go home. It had been a long day for the FBI agent, but when he was told that two of the Crocetti children had turned up at the LAPD headquarters, he couldn't even consider going home. He rushed down there and was able to officially make it a federal case. Now, some hours later, a solution had presented itself.
"OK..." He began solemnly. Danielo and Nadezhda Crocetti were sitting in an interview room with him, waiting for him to bring a miracle to them.
"Nadezhda..." He began, hoping he'd pronounced it properly.
"Call me Buffy."
"Buffy?" He was confused now.
"It's my name. Long story."
"Buffy." He said, noting it in his book. "We think it would be best to have someone undercover with you. Not only to investigate from within the family, but also to guard you without ringing any alarm bells.
"And you propose to do this how?" Danny scoffed. Angel smiled tightly at the young man.
"We propose to have one of our agents pose as... Buffy's boyfriend." He turned directly to Buffy.
"Is this OK with you? If it isn't, we'll come up with something else."
"Who?"
"Excuse me?"
"Who would it be?"
"Me, I'm afraid." Angel smiled in spite of himself. Buffy looked at him closer now.
"You?" He nodded, looking embarrassed. He was awfully handsome- she had noticed from the moment she first saw him. And he seemed nice enough. More importantly, he wasn't a hoodlum.
"OK." She said quickly. She hadn't meant to be quite so obvious. Angel gave her a tiny little half-smile which made her smile wider.
"Good. We'll make arrangements now. I'll need to know a little about you so we can build up an accurate sounding story." Angel said.
"Well, I might suggest that the 'my new boyfriend is a Fed' story might go down like a lead balloon in my house." Buffy joked.
Angel chuckled softly. Danny glared at her, not really pleased with the plan. That was it? This agent was going to be her boyfriend? Did he really think it would work?
"Excuse me, Agent Martin." Danny started.
"Yes?"
"Do you think my father is an idiot? Do you honestly think he won't suspect anything?"
"No." Buffy started. "He won't. Not if we do it right. You were the one who suggested we come to the police, Danny." She reminded him. He nodded a little sullenly, and the deal was made.
***
They stayed up for most of the night making arrangements. Angel was given all kinds of new identification- he was now Angel Martino, student of History at UCLA. He was from Steubenville, Ohio and had been dating Buffy for almost a month now. His family originated from near Naples, a detail Buffy had thrown in, knowing that her father was particularly fond of Naples.
He would be coming for dinner tomorrow evening to meet her family and they would go from there. Buffy and Danny returned to the compound. The wake for Sonny was still going strong into the night, and nobody had even noticed their absence.
***
