Nothing's Ever Easy
NOTE: Angel and Buffy are Whedon's property, but this story is mine.
A/N: This story takes place after New Way of Life. If you haven't read that story then it would be best if you find it otherwise this story will most likely confuse you. Here's hoping you enjoy this.
CHAPTER 3
The last bell of the day went off and everyone seemed to file out of last period at once. Dawn and Kit walked down the hall through the mob of other students, all wanting to escape the first day of school. Dawn stopped off at her new locker and took a moment to remember the combination before it hit her. She listened to Kit's voice while she put her books away.
"Can you believe this?" Kit said. "At Sunnydale they gave us like a truckload of homework on the first day and today it's zero."
"I'm beginning to love Italian school," Dawn smiled.
"So you got any plans tonight?"
"Nah. Why? What's up?"
"It's just that my cousin told me about this killer club."
Dawn thought for a moment. "You mean like the Bronze?"
"No," Kit said right away. "Not the dancing and date required kind of club. I mean a, you know, organization."
"Organization?" Dawn repeated amusedly. "What? Do they meet underground in this secret cave?"
"It's nothing like that. It's this group of girls. They call themselves the Psyches," Kit tried to explain. "They're supposed to be experts on this thing."
"Things?"
Kit nodded, "Yeah. My cousin says their wicked cool and she learned so much from them."
"I don't know," Dawn said uneasily. "Xander had to go to work after he dropped me off so I have to get home solo. My sister will be looking for me."
"Come on, Dawn," Kit nudged. "Your sister has a life, too. She can't watch you every minute. Besides this can't take long."
Dawn still looked a bit unsure, but finally agreed, "Fine. I'll check it out."
Kit smiled victoriously and led the way through the double doors of the school.
Buffy released a huge sigh as she entered the front door of the house, depositing her many shopping bags on the floor. She called for the others, but got no answer. She figured the rest of the household must still be out for the day. Buffy, not bothering to take her bags upstairs, headed towards the kitchen in search of a snack. Before she could make it to the kitchen's door, however, a loud honk got her attention. She turned back to the living room and took a peek out of one of the windows to see Angel standing in front of a very fancy, very expensive car. That was all it took for the Slayer to speed out of the house like she was on fire.
"How?" she asked Angel simply, a large grin glued to her face.
"You like it?" Angel asked her in return, resting his hand on the hood of the viper. "They gave it to me at work. Kind of like a fringe benefit."
"I love the fringe," Buffy said. "And I love this car. Hey, any chance Wolfram and Hart is hiring?"
"Got to get in good with the CEO," Angel replied, pulling her in closer to him.
"I'll see what I can do," Buffy smirked mischievously as they kissed.
The two had to look up from their lip lock at the sound of someone's throat clearing.
"Gwen," Angel distinguished, surprise in his eyes.
"Angel," Gwen said, approaching him, her arms crossed. "Good to see you again. You look good in the sunlight."
"Uh huh," said Buffy. "And just when did you see him in the moonlight?"
"Buffy, this is Gwen," Angel introduced. "She's an old…"
"Thief," Gwen supplied. She turned to Angel. "New girlfriend?"
"Kind of past and present," Angel said, hugging Buffy even closer. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for Charles," Gwen told him. "Is he inside?"
"Oh," said Buffy, feeling the relief lift off her. "You're looking for Gunn. Now I don't have to kill you because then I'd have to hide the body, avoid the cops, and that would all be just a big hassle."
"She's a punner," Angel explained at the sight of Gwen's raised eyebrow. "Anyway, I don't think Gunn's here right now. Can we help you with something?"
Gwen shrugged. "Fine. Might as well tell you. Not like I can hide it for much longer."
Gunn pulled his head back, laughing hysterically.
"It's true," Fred said, laughing as well.
"No, you are trippin'," said Gunn as his laughter subsided. "Lorne actually met the Michael Jackson?"
"Well, I'm not sure if it was a look alike or not," said Fred from where she sat across from him at a small table outside a restaurant. "But this guy actually asked Lorne which plastic surgeon he went to."
That was enough to make Gunn start up the laughs again. "My God. How come everything interesting happens when I'm gone?"
"You're that bored with Rome?" Fred asked sympathetically.
"It's not so bad," Gunn shrugged. "Kind of miss cutting demon throats, but it's been good to get out of LA. Needed a rest."
"I know how that feels," Fred concurred.
"Man, I forgot what it was like to talk to you," Gunn sighed. "Feels like old times."
"I was hoping," said Fred. "I've just really missed you."
"Got to be mutual there," Gunn said with a nod. "So you want to go to a movie later? I think here their foreign films are set in America."
The young woman before him giggled. "I'd like that."
Gunn nodded again then turned back to the banana split he'd ordered.
Listening to the incredibly loud sounds of airplanes taking off, Willow sat in an airport, cup of coffee in hand. She had been sitting perfectly quietly for nearly half an hour, the noises of the planes starting to make her ears throb.
The red head looked up in time to see, "Kennedy."
"Willow," the other girl smiled, dropping her luggage.
"I can't believe it," Willow said, giving her a huge hug. "I missed you so, so much. I'm talking a Penelope level of missing." Kennedy gave her a confused look and Willow added, "Odysseus' wife? The Odyssey? Um, Homer? Not Simpson."
"I got you," Kennedy finally understood. "Had to have a middle school flashback there."
"I can't believe you're back," said Willow. "What should we do first? Kind of early for dinner, but I could go for a little between lunch and dinner snack. We could call it linner."
"Will, hold on a sec."
"What? You're not up for any linner?"
"No, the linner sounds good," said Kennedy. "We just have a lot to talk about."
"Is it bad?" Willow asked with a worried frown.
"No, it's nothing like that," her girlfriend assured her. "It's just… kind of important. In fact I don't know if "kind of" suits it too well."
Willow helped Kennedy with a couple of her bags before saying, "Well, come on. Let's make with the talking."
Angel sat across from Gwen on the couch, his eyes still popping out of his head. Gwen, who sat on the loveseat, had explained to him and Buffy everything that had happened and it was all too hard to believe.
"Are- are you sure it's him?" Angel asked Gwen, finally able to respond.
"Can't be anyone else," Gwen told him. "Only guy to cut through the shock and be dead rule, remember?"
Buffy re-entered the room then, a small cup in her hand. "Here," she said, handing the cup over to Gwen. "I don't know how you like your tea so I just made it with honey. Everybody loves honey. Honey is very universal."
"Thanks," Gwen said, taking a light sip of the tea. "So how bad am I freaking you guys out now?"
"I don't know if you could call us freaked," said Buffy, taking up a seat next to Angel. "More like horribly and definitely shocked."
"Angel, you here?" Gunn's voice asked as the front door opened, allowing him and Fred to enter. "Look who's…" it was then he noticed Gwen and the smile he had been wearing faded. "Here."
"How's it going?" Gwen addressed Gunn. She stood up and tugged up her black blouse to reveal her pudgy, pregnant belly. "Knock anyone up lately?"
A/N: While I decide what to eat for dinner I'd like you all to please review.